INTRODUCTION AND AIM
T-2 toxin is regarded as an acutely toxic mycotoxin, known to affect tissues with a high cell division rate, inducing cell apoptosis, and causing severe oral lesions, immunological dysfunctions and impairments in both liver function and intestinal integrity. The aim of the trial was to evaluate the impact of a mycotoxin eliminator (Elitox®) on immunological, liver and intestinal impairments caused by an early T-2 toxicosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A trial was carried out during 28 days at the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil, with 96 one-day-old male Cobb® broilers housed in three 2m² isolators with negative pressure ventilation system and divided into 3 treatments (n= 32): control (C), T-2 contaminated feed (using purified T-2 toxin at 800ppb) (T-2), and T-2 contaminated (800ppb) feed supplemented with a mycotoxin eliminator (Elitox®) at 0.2% (ET-2). On day 14, blood samples of 8 animals per treatment were collected and used to determine the profile of circulating immune cells. On day 28, blood samples (n=8/treatment) were taken for the evaluation of serum markers of liver function and samples of jejunum (n=6/treatment) were collected. Early toxicological impacts in immune cells were evaluated through flow cytometry while liver impairments were checked through the quantification of serum concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (AP). Early negative effects on intestinal integrity were evaluated through goblet cell counting in jejunum by immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS
T-2 toxin appeared to impair immunological parameters of the T-2 treatment birds compared to Control, as indicated by significantly higher amount of suppressor macrophages (T-2 0.32 c.f. C 0.04%PBMC) and T-helper lymphocytes (T-2 6.27 c.f. C 1.88%PBMC) after 14 days of exposure. The increased amount of macrophages is an indication of reduced phagocytosis efficiency and the higher T-helper cell count implicates an elevated metabolic cost to sustain homeostasis, as no infective challenge was present and the control showed significantly less cells. Elitox® protected animals exposed to the toxin as it modulated the immune response of ET-2 treatment birds: T-helper lymphocytes and suppressor macrophages were significantly lower than T-2 treatment (3.61 %PBMC and 0.105 %PBMC for ET-2 respectively). Intestinal integrity as well as liver function were altered by the action of T-2 toxin after 28 days of exposure.T-2 birds showed significantly increased levels compared to Control for AST (C 196 to T-2 224.85 U/l), AP(C 2.5 to T-2 3.15 U/lx1000) and goblet cells (C 10.58 to T-2 23.55 cells/field), indicating liver and unspecific intestinal damage. In Elitox® treated groups, these negative effects appeared significantly reduced, evidencing the efficacy of the product in neutralizing the toxin: AST and AP for ET-2 birds were 196.82 U/l and 2.93 U/lx1000 respectively, and the amount of goblet cells 17.25 cells/field.
CONCLUSION
The addition of a mycotoxin eliminator (Elitox®) to broiler feed could prevent the early damages induced by T2-toxin.