Diazoxon exposure increases susceptibility to infection by <italic>Salmonella Typhimurium</italic>.

Various exogenous factors, such as microbiological and chemical contamination condition food security. <italic>Salmonella Typhimurium</italic> (<italic>S. Typhimurium</italic>) is the cause of salmonellosis. This bacterium utilizes phagocytosis to create bacterial reservoirs. On the other hand, exposure to chemical contaminants, such as pesticides, increases susceptibility to numerous infections. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the effect of co-exposure to diazoxon and <italic>S. Typhimurium</italic> on the in vitro infection dynamics. For this purpose, human mononuclear cells were pre-exposed in vitro to diazoxon and then challenged with <italic>S. Typhimurium</italic> at 1, 8, and 24 h. Bacterial internalization, actin polymerization, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were analyzed. Obtained data show that mononuclear cells previously exposed to diazoxon exhibit greater internalization of <italic>S. Typhimurium</italic>. Likewise, greater ROS production and an increase in actin polymerization were observed. Therefore, in the proposed scenario, obtained data suggest that co-exposure to diazoxon and <italic>S. Typhimurium</italic> increases susceptibility to acquiring an illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]