Effects of the Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol from naturally contaminated wheat given subchronically or as one single dose on the in vivo protein synthesis of peripheral blood lymphocytes and plasma proteins in the pig.

Trichothecenes, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), are known to inhibit the protein synthesis in vitro by binding at the 60S subunit of eukaryotic ribosomes. Therefore, cells and tissues with high protein turnover, such as lymphocytes and the liver (albumin and fibrinogen synthesis), were suggested to react most sensitively to DON. However, to the author's knowledge this observation was not proven in vivo in pigs, which were regarded as the farm animals most susceptible to DON. A total of 31 castrated male, crossbred German Landrace x Pietrain pigs weighing approx. 40 kg were fed a DON contaminated diet (5.7 mg/kg) either acutely (one single dose) or subchronically (4 weeks) or a control diet (0.1 mg/kg). In addition, one group received an intravenous injection of 53 microg DON/kg LW. One hour after feeding, a "flooding dose" of the stable isotope l-[(2)H(5)]-phenylalanine (125 mg/kg LW) was given and frequent blood samples (permanent catheter) were collected over a 60 min period. The molar percent excess (MPE) of plasma free and protein-bound phenylalanine were measured by GC/MS. No differences could be observed in the plasma concentrations of total protein, albumin, fibrinogen and serum enzymes between the groups. On the other hand, fractional synthesis rates (FSR, %/d) of albumin were significantly decreased by 43%, 45% and 26% and FSR of lymphocytes declined by 27%, 19% and 24%, whereas fibrinogen was not significantly affected after subchronic or one single oral and intravenous DON exposure, respectively. Additionally, the absolute synthesis rate (ASR, g/d) of albumin and the proportion of albumin to total body protein synthesis were reduced in the same manner, whereas the albumin secretion time ranged between 6.8 and 34.4 min and was not affected by treatment. In conclusion, the flooding dose technique appeared to be suitable for distinguishing DON-related effects on the protein synthesis, while determination of plasma protein concentrations seemed not to be an appropriate parameter.