Selenium-chitosan alleviates the toxic effects of Zearalenone on antioxidant and immune function in mice
Shunyi Qin, Fuze She, Fanghong Zhao, Liuan Li, Fu Chen
Abstract
This study assessed the protective effects of selenium-chitosan (SC) against antioxidant and immune function-related damage induced by zearalenone (ZEN) in mice. In total, 150 female mice were allotted to five groups for a 30-day study. Control mice were fed a basal diet. Mice in the ZEN, ZEN-Se1, ZEN-Se2 and ZEN-Se3 groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with same dose of ZEN (2 mg/kg) and different doses of SC, 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/kg, respectively (calculated by selenium). After 30 days, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) level, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in plasma and liver, as well as Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation, plasma interleukins concentrations and liver interleukin mRNA expression levels were determined. The plasma and liver GSH-Px activities, liver T-AOC levels, Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation, interleukin (IL) contents and mRNA expression levels in the ZEN group were significantly lower than in the control group ( P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), whereas plasma and liver MDA contents in the ZEN group were significantly higher than in the control group ( P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Additionally, plasma and liver GSH-Px activities, liver T-AOC levels, Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation, IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-2 and IL-6 contents and mRNA expression levels in ZEN+Se2 and ZEN+Se3 groups were significantly higher than in the ZEN group ( P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), whereas plasma and liver MDA contents in the ZEN+Se2 and ZEN+Se3 groups were significantly lower than in the ZEN group ( P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The plasma and liver GSH-Px activities, Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation, IL-1β and IL-6 contents, IL-2 and IL-17A mRNA expression levels in the ZEN+Se1 group were also significantly higher than in the ZEN group ( P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), whereas the plasma MDA content in the ZEN+Se1 group was also significantly lower than in the ZEN group ( P < 0.01). Thus, SC may alleviate antioxidant function-related damage and immunosuppression induced by ZEN in mice.