Effect of deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin) on fertility, pregnancy, and postnatal development of Sprague-Dawley rats

A diet containing 20 ppm (micrograms/g) of purified deoxynivalenol (DON) was fed to male and female Sprague-Dawley rats for 60 and 15 days, respectively, before breeding. Rats consuming feed amended with DON throughout pregnancy and lactation showed no clinical signs of toxicity, nor did the control or pair-fed control groups. Male rats in the DON treatment group showed no feed refusal but were less efficient than males in control groups in converting feed into body mass. Feed refusal in female rats varied with stage of pregnancy. Before breeding, overall feed consumption was similar in all groups, but in the DON treatment group there was significant feed refusal for the first 2 days. Feed conversion efficiency was reduced in the DON treatment group. Pregnant and lactating rats fed DON-treated feed ate 6% less than did control rats fed solvent-treated feed. Although pair-fed control rats ate 14 to 21% less than rats in the DON treatment group, their body weights were greater than those of the DON group rats throughout most of the feeding trials, indicating that DON has a toxic effect. Only 50% of the matings between DON group rats resulted in pregnancy, compared with 80% in the control groups. There were no differences detected among groups in ratio of male to female pups, survival rate, or average litter number and weight. Pup weight gains in all groups were comparable through postnatal day 14.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and DON metabolism in pigs

Wheat infected naturally withFusarium, contaminated mainly with 18.53 mg DON per kg, was added to a total constant wheat proportion of 400g/kg diet. Control and DON contaminated feed was fed for 11 weeks underad libitum and restrictive feeding conditions to 48 pigs of both sexes, which were randomly divided into 4 groups. Effects on performance (live weight range between 26 and 100kg), duration of feed intake and blood parameters were investigated. Parallel to this study, a balance study was carried out to examine the effects on nutrient digestibility and DON metabolism. The group fed the DON contaminated rationad libitum consumed 15% less feed and gained 14% less live weight compared to thead libitum control group, while the feed to gain ratio was unaffected. Under restrictive feeding conditions (DON and control) pigs exhibited 33%, 25% and 10% lower feed consumption, live weight gain and feed to gain ratio, respectively, than the control group fedad libitum. Metabolizability of energy, digestibility of organic matter, crude protein, crude fat and N-retention were significantly increased by 4, 3, 6, 11 and 10%, respectively, in the DON group of the restrictively fed pigs. In average up to 43.2% of the ingested DON, as the parent toxin in both groups, was eliminated with the urine and up to 3.0% with faeces. DON fed animals needed more time to consume the restrictive ration than the control group. Presented at the 26^th Mykotoxin-Workshop in Herrsching, Germany, May 17–19, 2004. Financial support Deutsone Forschungsgemeingschaft     

Effects of high-dose ethinyl estradiol on serum concentrations and hepatic secretion of the very-low-density lipoprotein, triacylglycerol, cholesterol, and apolipoprotein A-I in the rat

Female and male rats were treated with ethinyl estradiol (5.0 mg/kg daily for 5 days). Control animals were pair fed to compensate for the reduction in food intake induced by the estrogen, or were fed ad libitum. Treatment with ethinyl estradiol reduced total cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I concentrations in the serum of female and male animals. The concentrations of serum and hepatic triacylglycerol were depressed markedly in animals of both sexes in groups treated with ethinyl estradiol, compared to the control group fed ad libitum. Compared to the pair-fed controls, however, ethinyl estradiol had only a very minor further reduction on serum triacylglycerol concentration. In male and female rats, the synthesis and secretion of triacylglycerol by the liver was, in comparison to the pair-fed controls, stimulated by estrogen, whereas the secretion of unesterified cholesterol was unaffected by any of the treatment regimens. The synthesis and secretion of total cholesteryl esters by livers from male and female rats was increased by treatment with ethinyl estradiol. The hepatic synthesis and secretion of VLDL triacylglycerol and cholesteryl ester was stimulated by ethinyl estradiol in male and female rats, and the VLDL particle was enriched with cholesteryl ester. Treatment with the high-dose estrogen increased the secretion of apolipoprotein A-I by livers from female rats. It is suggested that the depression in the serum concentrations of cholesteryl esters and apolipoprotein A-I is the result of increased rates of hepatic and/or peripheral catabolism of these components and that the hepatic production rates were increased or unaffected in animals administered high doses of ethinyl estradiol. Since the secretion of apolipoprotein A-I by livers from male rats was unaffected by treatment with ethinyl estradiol, the response to estrogen may be sex related.     

Hepatic insulin binding following in utero exposure to ethanol

Insulin binding to liver membranes has been studied in term fetuses of rats fed ethanol-containing liquid diet during pregnancy . Pair-fed and ad libitum-fed controls received liquid diet in which maltose-dextrins were substituted isocalorically for ethanol. Food consumption and body weigh gain of ethanol- imbibing dams were 35% and 70% less than their ad libitum counterparts respectively. Ethanol-fed rats also exhibited less gain in body weight than pair-fed controls despite isocalorically equivalent food intake. The number of live pups was not different among the various groups; however, liver weight of fetuses exposed to ethanol in utero was 47% less than those of the pups of ad libitum control dams and 28% less than those of the offspring of pair-fed control rats. Insulin binding to liver membranes of fetuses exposed to ethanol in utero was lower than that of ad libitum controls but was not significantly different from that of the pair-fed control animals. Average affinity profiles showed a reduction in K at all levels of receptor occupancy in the fetuses of ethanol-fed rats. For fetuses of the pair-fed group, K was reduced only at fractional occupancy below 20% but not at higher fractional occupancy. Because of the similarity of insulin binding in the fetuses of the ethanol-fed rats and their pair-fed counterparts, effects of ethanol on insulin binding cannot account for the reduced hepatic glycogen stores previously reported in term fetuses.     

Suckling deficits in rat pups exposed to alcohol in utero

With the aid of a pair-feeding procedure, two groups of pregnant Long-Evans rats were fed a liquid diet containing 35% or 0% ethanol-derived calories during days 6-20 of gestation. A third group was allowed free access to standard lab chow and water throughout pregnancy. At 6-7 or 9-10 days of age, suckling performance by male and female offspring representing the three prenatal treatment groups was examined. The test stimulus was a 6-10-day postparturient, anesthetized dam in which milk letdown was prevented. Compared to both pair-fed and lab chow controls, alcohol-exposed animals exerted a lower maximum suckling pressure, spent less time suckling during the test session, and displayed an altered suckling pattern. These data are consistent with existing clinical and experimental evidence documenting sucking deficits following prenatal alcohol exposure and are discussed in terms of prenatal alcohol-induced CNS impairment.     

Influence of early nutrition on growth and adipose tissue characteristics in male and female rats

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effects of early nutrition on adipose tissue characteristics and growth by altering litter size. After birth, rats were redistributed into large (15-18 pups), control (10 pups), or small (4 pups) litters. During the postweaning phase of growth half of the small-litter animals were pair-fed to animals raised in large litters for 5 wk and then allowed to feed ad libitum until they were 80 days of age. The small-litter males gained weight at a more rapid rate than the other litter types, both before and after weaning, and attained a final body weight twofold greater than the other groups. The small-litter males had significantly higher (P less than 0.05) numbers of adipocytes per epididymal fat pad than the other litter groups with 60.4, 51.4, and 79.0% greater cell number per pad than control, large, and pair-fed animals, respectively. Limiting food intake to small-litter animals after weaning (pair-fed) inhibited this growth and prevented fat cell proliferation. Litter manipulation had significant effects on male rats, but the same treatment did not influence female rats. Litter size influenced fat cell characteristics but had little effect on the adipocytes' ability to take up or metabolize glucose. The major finding, in terms of insulin responsiveness, was the difference between the sexes. The uptake of tritiated 2-deoxyglucose by the fat cells of female litter groups was significantly higher than that of the males whether insulin was present or not, whereas the conversion of [1-14C]glucose to CO2 by the adipocytes of females was lower than that of the males.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Plural Breeding in the Splendid Fairy-wren,Malurus splendens (Aves: Maluridae), a Cooperative Breeder

Groups of the cooperatively breeding splendid fairy-wren Malurus splendens may include more than one female. Previously this species has been described as singular breeding (only one female breeds). This paper describes the occurrence of plural breeding (PB) groups in 10% of group years, in which two females had separate nests. In all cases, the secondary female (Y) was related to the primary breeding female (X) and was generally a 2-year old female which had helped in the group during the previous breeding season. Plural breeding was correlated with an increase in population density and in the number of female helpers; PB groups were larger than singular-breeding groups. In most cases, the X female was occupied with her own nest or offspring when the Y female began to nest, and there was no aggression between them. Which birds helped the Y female to feed at her nest depended on the time between the hatching of the two nests. If the interval was small, some group members helped at each nest; with longer intervals, the group members began to feed at the earlier nest, and the other female was left to raise her brood alone. Female helpers were very active in feeding at single nestings, and the cost to an X female of a Y female breeding was mainly a loss of this assistance. The success of individual X nests was not affected. Effects on productivity were slight, but fewer X females in PB groups raised second broods than did experienced singular breeding females. Y females were less productive than X females, but no less productive than singular breeding novice females without helpers. It is not known whether Y females copulated with primary or secondary males within their group, or with males from outside the group. Certainly, they did not form an observable pairing with any male in the group. Plural breeding occurred in a minority of group years in response to extrinsic conditions and the current demographic situation, and shows the extreme plasticity of the mating system in M. splendens.     

The seaweed Sargassum (Sargassaceae) as tropical alternative for goats' feeding

The seaweed Sargassum (Sargassaceae) as tropical alternative for goats' feeding. The nutritive value of seaweed (Sargassum spp.) was studied in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Twenty female Nubian goats (43-weeks old) were randomly distributed into two groups of 10 goats each and were housed in individual pens. One group was fed with a control diet and the other with a diet supplemented with 25% of Sargassum spp. Feed and water intake were recorded daily and individually for 60 days. The weight of each goat was recorded every 15 days. The nutritional content of Sargassum spp. was 89% dry mater, 8% crude protein, 31% ash, 2% ether extract, and 39% carbohydrates. Fiber fractions, minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, and antinutritional factors were also determined. There were no significant differences in body weight (8.6 kg control and 9 kg experimental), feed intake (1.3 kg control and 1.6 kg experimental), and feed conversion rate (11.1 control and 12.6 experimental). Water consumption was greater in the goats that ate the Sargassum diet (5.3 1). From these results, Sargassum spp. can be considered as an alternative feedstuff for goats.     

Effect of probiotic CenBiot on the control of diarrhoea and feed efficiency in pigs

The production and testing of a probiotic formulated with a strain of Bacillus cereus (Probiotic CenBiot) is reported. The strain was grown in fed batch fermenters, desiccated, and mixed with cornflour. To test the effect of the probiotic in controlling piglet diarrhoea, two groups of sows and their respective litters received feed supplemented with probiotic CenBiot or Furazolidone; the control group received the same basic feed but not supplemented. Probiotic CenBiot was as effective as Furazolidone, reducing the prevalence of diarrhoea to half that in the control group. It also significantly improved feed conversion, daily weight gain and total weight gain in pigs in the nursery phase. Feed conversion ratios of weaned pigs were 1·904, 2·146 and 2·099 for the groups that received Probiotic CenBiot, a commercial probiotic, and basic feed, respectively. In terms of food consumption, the Probiotic CenBiot group consumed 12·6% less than the commercial probiotic group, and 10% less than the control group, to achieve the same weight.     

Sex preselection of sٍheep embryo by altering the minerals of maternal nutrition

Several methods have been conducted for embryo sex preselection, which includes X- and Y- sperm separation, changing the pH of the female reproductive tract, time of mating before or after ovulation, and feeding formula, such as altering the presence of minerals in diet content before breeding may affect the embryo sex preselection ratio. In this study, three food formulas to feed female sheep were created with the cooperation of the Arabian Agricultural Services Company (Arasco). Ewes were fed with modified food formulas for one month before mating with males. The first group (A) (30 ewes), modified for male embryo gender preselection, were fed a diet with an increased percentage of the minerals Na⁺, K^+, and P^-. The second group (B) (30 ewes), modified for female sex preselection, were fed a diet with an increased percentage of the minerals Ca⁺⁺ and Mg⁺⁺. The third (control) group (C) (30 ewes) were fed the regular (Wafi) food formula. Our results showed no significant differences were in mean body weights between the three groups at the end of the feeding period. The results of different feeding formulas on mineral serum blood samples of ewes showed an increase in Na⁺, K^+, and Cl^- ions in the serum of group (A) compared to the other groups (B and C). The concentration of Na⁺ in the serum of group (A) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than group (C). The concentration of Cl^- ions in serum samples of ewes in group (A) was significantly higher than group (C) and group (B) (P < 0.05). The role of maternal feeding on embryo sex preselection shows that the pregnancy rate of animals in group (A) was 73.33%. Group (A) birthed 17 males and 5 females (77.27% and 22.72%, respectively). The pregnancy rate in group (B) was 70%. Group (B) birthed 6 males (27.27%) and 16 females (72.72%). Finally, the control group (C) had a pregnancy rate of 76.66%. They birthed 13 males (54.41%) and 11 females (44.83%). The results of our study confirm that altering the percentage of minerals in the maternal diet plays a role in sex preselection in sheep, which agree with other mammalian studies in rats and mice. Thus, the result of this study can help farmers to manage their breeding. We recommend that more studies on the relationship between minerals in the diet should be conducted for other spices and human sex preselection.     

Effect of probiotic CenBiot on the control of diarrhoea and feed efficiency in pigs

The production and testing of a probiotic formulated with a strain of Bacillus cereus (Probiotic CenBiot) is reported. The strain was grown in fed batch fermenters, desiccated, and mixed with cornflour. To test the effect of the probiotic in controlling piglet diarrhoea, two groups of sows and their respective litters received feed supplemented with probiotic CenBiot or Furazolidone; the control group received the same basic feed but not supplemented. Probiotic CenBiot was as effective as Furazolidone, reducing the prevalence of diarrhoea to half that in the control group. It also significantly improved feed conversion, daily weight gain and total weight gain in pigs in the nursery phase. Feed conversion ratios of weaned pigs were 1.904, 2.146 and 2.099 for the groups that received Probiotic CenBiot, a commercial probiotic, and basic feed, respectively. In terms of food consumption, the Probiotic CenBiot group consumed 12.6% less than the commercial probiotic group, and 10% less than the control group, to achieve the same weight.     

Effects of dietary zinc deficiency on homocysteine and folate metabolism in rats

In rats, zinc deficiency has been reported to result in elevated hepatic methionine synthase activity and alterations in folate metabolism. We investigated the effect of zinc deficiency on plasma homocysteine concentrations and the distribution of hepatic folates. Weanling male rats were fed ad libitum a zinc-sufficient control diet (382.0 nmol zinc/g diet), a low-zinc diet (7.5 nmol zinc/g diet), or a control diet pair-fed to the intake of the zinc-deficient rats. After 6 weeks, the body weights of the zinc-deficient and pair-fed control groups were lower than those of controls, and plasma zinc concentrations were lowest in the zinc-deficient group. Plasma homocysteine concentrations in the zinc-deficient group (2.3 +/- 0.2 micromol/L) were significantly lower than those in the ad libitum-fed and pair-fed control groups (6.7 +/- 0.5 and 3.2 +/- 0.4 micromol/L, respectively). Hepatic methionine synthase activity in the zinc-deficient group was higher than in the other two groups. Low mean percentage of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in total hepatic folates and low plasma folate concentration were observed in the zinc-deficient group compared with the ad libitum-fed and pair-fed control groups. The reduced plasma homocysteine and folate concentrations and reduced percentage of hepatic 5-methyltetrahydrofolate are probably secondary to the increased activity of hepatic methionine synthase in zinc deficiency.     

Humic substances failed to prevent the systemic absorption of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its adverse effects on piglets

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a control diet (CON, 0.25?mg DON/kg diet) or a Fusarium toxin-contaminated diet (FUS, 4.49?mg DON/kg diet) without and with humic substances (HS) (CON-HS and FUS-HS, 0.23 and 4.56?mg DON/kg diet, respectively) on piglets during a 5-week growth trial starting after weaning (6.7?±?0.9?kg live weight, n?=?20/group). Feed intake was significantly reduced by feeding the FUS containing diets by approximately 21% compared with the CON diet irrespective of HS supplementation. The decrease in live weight gain paralleled the feed intake depression and amounted to approximately 26%. Feeding the FUS diet was clearly reflected by the DON levels in blood. While only traces of DON with median concentrations of 3?ng/ml (2?C5?ng/ml) and 2?ng/ml (0?C3?ng/ml) were detected in piglets fed the CON and CON-HS diets, respectively, significantly higher levels of 22.5?ng/ml (7?C30?ng/ml) and 23.5?ng/ml (15?C32?ng/ml) were found in piglets fed the FUS and FUS-HS diet, respectively. The urinary excretion of DON and its metabolite de-epoxy-DON as percentage of DON intake was not significantly influenced by HS supplementation and amounted to 24.1 and 20.2% for groups FUS and FUS-HS, respectively. In conclusion, the tested HS preparation cannot be recommended as a DON inactivating feed supplement for pigs.     

Effect of dietary alpha-linolenate/linoleate balance on mean survival time, incidence of stroke and blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Following the suckling period, stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) were fed semi-purified diets supplemented either with safflower seed oil (rich in linoleic acid) or with perilla seed oil (rich in alpha-linolenic acid). The mean survival time of male SHR-SP fed the perilla diet was longer than that fed the safflower diet by 17% (p less than 0.001) while the difference was 15% in female SHR-SP (p less than 0.05). The mean survival times of female SHR-SP were more than 40% longer than those of male SHR-SP in both dietary groups. Post-mortem examinations of brains revealed apoplexy-related symptoms as the major cause of the death in both dietary groups. The systolic blood pressure was lower by ca. 10% (21 mmHg) in the perilla group than in both the safflower group and conventional diet group. The eicosapentaenoate (20:5 n-3)/arachidonate (20:4 n-6) ratio of platelet phospholipids in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), a measure of platelet aggregability, was much higher in the perilla group than in the safflower group. Thus, increasing the dietary alpha-linolenate/linoleate ratio resulted in an increased mean survival time of SHR-SP rats, possibly by lowering blood pressure and platelet aggregability.     

Response of animals to dietary gramine. II. effects of feeding high‐gramine yellow lupin seeds on reproductive performance of rats and on selected hematological and biochemical parameters in offspring

Two groups of 26 male and 26 female rats at the initial age 30 ± 2 days were fed during 31 weeks on diets containing 20 percent of yellow lupin seeds having low (LG) or high (HG) gramine content. The animals were mated twice within nutritional groups, 1 male: 1 female, and their main reproductive parameters were recorded. In both reproductive cycles body weight of females at mating, after parturition and after 21‐days lactation was lower in HG than in LG group. Fertility rate and body weight of neonates were not affected by the diet while number of neonates per litter tended to be lower by 0.7 and 0.8 pups in HG than in LG group. Body weight of weaners was also substantially smaller in dams fed on HG than LG diet. Relative weight of spleen but not of liver, kidney and heart was significantly greater in HG females. Four weeks old males and females issued from the first litters born to LG and HG animals (ten males and ten females per treatment) were fed individually on respective diets during 3 weeks. Feed intake and growth rate did not differ between the treatments. In males relative weight of liver and testicles was greater, while hematocrit and red blood count were lower in HG than in LG group. In females organ weights did not differ. Activity of liver enzymes determined in males was not affected by the diet. It may be concluded that high‐gramine lupin affects negatively lactational performance, probably via lower feed intake, but it does not induce apparent teratogenic effects in the progeny.     

Changes in metabolite concentration in the plasma, liver and muscle of feed restricted Japanese quail exposed to cold.

Quail fed ad libitum and 50% ad libitum were cold exposed for several weeks, during time control quail remained at 21 degrees C. The concentration of plasma glucose, FFA, and uric acid, tissue glycogen and carcass fat content was measured at the end of the cold exposure period. Quail fed ad libitum showed no significant change in the levels of plasma and tissue metabolites, or the carcass fat content, following cold exposure. The feed consumption by the cold exposed quail increased, and the mean body weight showed little variation from that of the controls. Feed restricted quail which were cold exposed lost significantly more weight, and had a lower ranked fat content than their controls. Whereas feed restriction caused a lowering of the liver glycogen concentration in both treatment groups, muscle glycogen levels were higher than in quail fed ad libitum. However, cold exposure was not accompanied by a change in muscle and liver glycogen levels in feed restricted quail. Feed restricted quail at 21 degrees C were hypoglycaemic and hyperlipaemic compared to quail fed ad libitum, but cold exposed feed restricted quail had a much higher plasma glucose concentration than the controls. The ranked carcass fat content was inversely related to plasma FFA level in both control and cold exposed feed restricted quail. It is suggested that both a glycolytic and lipid mobilizing response to cold is obtained in quail whose body reserves are not spared from catabolism by adequate dietary nutrient absorption, and the possibility of gluconeogenesis from precursors produced by proteolysis is indicated.     

Effect of suboptimal nutrition during lactation on milk protein gene expression in the rat

Human milk provides infants with proteins that aid in the prevention of infections and facilitate the digestion and absorption of other nutrients. Maternal diet is not believed to affect the protein concentration of breast milk. However, the maternal factors that regulate the expression of genes for specific milk proteins are not well characterized. We hypothesized that nutrition could be one of the factors. We fed Sprague-Dawley rats five diets representing common nutrient deficiencies and energy deficiency during pregnancy and lactation: low-zinc (Zn; 7 microg/g), low-iron (Fe; 6 microg/g), low-protein (12.5% albumin), pair-fed control diet (lactation only, 20% less kcal) and control diet (Zn, 25 microg/g; Fe, 100 mug/g; protein, 21%) ad libitum. At day 10 of lactation, the mammary gland was removed for RNA extraction. Northern blots of mRNA from the different groups were performed by hybridization with beta-casein and whey acidic protein (WAP) cDNA probes. The expression of beta-casein mRNA in rat mammary gland was significantly (P<.005) increased in the pair-fed group when compared to the control group. The expression of WAP mRNA was also significantly (P<.005) increased in the pair-fed group as well as in the low-Fe group when compared to the control group. The concentration of beta-casein in milk was significantly higher for the low-zinc and the pair-fed groups only. The concentration of WAP in milk was not different among groups. These results suggest that compromised maternal nutrition can affect the expression of two individual milk proteins and may have functional implications with regard to bioactive proteins in milk.     

性别对小鼠高脂血症动物模型的影响

目的观察性别对建立小鼠高脂血症动物模型的影响。方法健康成年昆明种小鼠40只,雌雄各半,随机分4组：雄性对照组、雌性对照组、雄性高脂组、雌性高脂组,按各组要求分别给予正常饲料和高脂饲料喂养。连续2周,取血测定实验小鼠血中总胆固醇（total cholesterol,TC）、甘油三酯（triglyceride,TG）、低密度脂蛋白（low density lipoprotein,LDL）、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（high density lipoprotein cholesterol,HDL-C）含量。结果雌性对照组血脂四项指标与雄性对照组差异不显著,高脂饮食使小鼠血中TC、LDL水平明显增高（P〈0.05）,雌雄组之间差异不显著。结论性别对实验小鼠高脂血症模型的建立及效果无明显影响。     

Effects of oral exposure to sodium sulphite-treated deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated maize on performance and plasma concentrations of toxins and metabolites in piglets

The objective of the present study was to demonstrate the efficiency of the decontamination process applied to deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated maize by sodium sulphite (Na₂SO₃) treatment in vivo. Additionally, in vitro characterisation of the toxicity of the DON sulphonates (DONS 1, 2 and 3 denote structurally different forms), the resulting DON metabolites, on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) should substantiate the inactivation of DON. In a piglet experiment, both DON-contaminated maize and -uncontaminated control maize either untreated (DON?, CON?) or Na₂SO₃-treated (DON+, CON+) were mixed into feed and fed for 42 d starting from weaning. The results showed that feed intake and daily weight gain of animals fed DON? were significantly lower compared to animals fed CON? and CON+, whereas group DON+ reached the control level or even exceeded it. The feed-to-gain ratio was unaffected (p = 0.45). Furthermore, DON concentrations in plasma markedly reflected the diets’ DON concentrations. These were < 0.1, < 0.1, 5.4 and 0.8 mg/kg feed for CON?, CON+, DON? and DON+, and amounted to 0.3, 0.4, 33.0 and 9.3 ng/ml in plasma, respectively. Whereas DONS 2 and 3 were detected in the DON+ diet, only DONS 2 was recovered in plasma. Regarding the toxicity of DONS, no or much lower toxicity was found compared to DON. DONS 1 and Na₂SO₃ did not affect the viability of PBMC. At 32.71μM DONS2 the viability was reduced by 50% and thus this compound was less toxic than DON by a factor of 73. Consequently, wet preservation of maize with Na₂SO₃ was an effective tool to avoid the adverse effects of DON on performance of piglets.     

Influence of zinc depletion and zinc status on serum growth hormone levels in rats

In a preceding trial, the growth hormone concentrations in the serum of zinc-deficient rats were greatly reduced compared to thead libitum- fed control animals. The same reduction, however, was also noted in the case of the pair-fed control animals with strongly diminished feed intake. Therefore, it was not possible to distinguish between the effects of zinc deficiencyper se and the effects resulting from restricted feed intake. A new study with 136 young male Sprague-Dawley rats showed again that zinc deficiency as well as strongly restricted feed intake reduced the growth hormone content in the serum. But in a marginal zinc deficiency status, when feed intake was only slightly or not reduced, there were lowered serum growth hormone levels in comparison to pair-fed control rats. A 1-wk zinc repletion did not increase the serum growth hormone content of the rats to a normal level, although the serum zinc concentration was normalized.