Toxicity of Fusarium moniliforme culture material containing known levels of fumonisin B1 in ducks

Fusarium moniliforme culture material toxicity containing fumonisin B1 (FBI ) was investigated into four groups of five growing ducks, each receiving 0 , 5, 15 or 45 mg/kg FB1 by daily oral administration over 12 days. Treatmen ts did not lead to lethality. but the average body weight gain was slightly retarded in treated versus control animals. without apparent dose relation . A dose-dependant increase of thr liver weight with a disorganization of t he span and implementation of a microglandular structure in both periportal and centrolobular areas was obtained. In the plasma, together protein. cho lesterol. alanine aminotransferase. lactate dehydrogenase, gammaglutamyl tr anferase and sphinganine to sphingosine ratio (SA/SO) were increased. No si gn of apoptosis was present neither in the liver nor in peripheral blood ly mphocytes and only moderate oxidative damages were obtained. These results are of interest, because although FB1 increases SA/SO and is hepatotoxic in all investigated species, liver hyperplasia with increased liver weight we re obtained in ducks. whereas decreased liver weight and apoptosis are obse rved in rats. Finally. although ducks appeared resistant to FB1 toxicity in terms of mortality, liver alterations were obtained with only 5 mg/kg per day of FB I for 12 days. Considering the fact that high levels of FBI mag; occur in corn (100-300 mg/kg) liver pathology could have an impact in farmi ng conditions. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd, All rights reserved.