Interactions of deoxynivalenol and lipopolysaccharides on tissue protein synthesis in pigs

Possible interactions between the Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol and lipopolysaccharides on in vivo protein synthesis were investigated in selected porcine tissues. A total of 36 male castrated pigs (initial weight of 26 kg) were used. 24 pigs were fed a control diet and 12 a Fusarium-contaminated diet (chronic oral deoxynivalenol, 3.1 mg/kg diet) for 37 days. Tissue protein synthesis was measured in pigs fed control diet after intravenous infusion of deoxynivalenol (100 µg/kg live weight/h), lipopolysaccharides (7.5 µg/kg live weight/h) or a combination of both compounds on the day of the measurements, while six pigs from the chronic oral deoxynivalenol group were intravenously treated with lipopolysaccharides (7.5 µg/kg live weight/h). Deoxynivalenol challenge alone failed to alter protein synthesis parameters. Fractional protein synthesis rates were exclusively reduced in liver, spleen and small intestine of lipopolysaccharides-treated pigs. Intravenous deoxynivalenol co-exposure enhanced the impacts of lipopolysaccharides on protein synthesis parameters in the spleen and the small intestine to some extent, while a chronic oral pre-exposure with deoxynivalenol relieved its effects in the spleen. Whether these interactions occur in other tissues and under other study conditions, especially toxin doses and route of entry into the body, needs to be examined further.