The Mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (DON) Promotes Multiplication in the Intestine of Broiler Chickens With Consequences on Bacterial Translocation and Gut Integrity.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the major health concern in poultry production as it targets epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract and contributes to the loss of the epithelial barrier function. It is well-documented that DON severely compromises various important intestinal functions in coincidence with aggravated clinical symptoms in livestock. In addition, a prolonged persistence of intestinal pathogens (e.g., ) in the gut has also been reported in pigs and chickens, respectively. Similar to DON, recent studies demonstrated that an experimental infection has severe consequences on gut health. Through experimental infection, it was found that negatively affects the integrity of the intestine and promotes the translocation of bacteria from the gut to inner organs. So far, no data are available investigating the simultaneous exposure of DON and in broilers albeit both are widely distributed. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the interaction between DON and which is of a significant public and animal health concern as it may affect the prevalence and the ability to control this pathogen. Following oral infection of birds at 14 days of age with NCTC 12744, we show that the co-exposure to DON and has a considerable consequence on loads in chicken gut as well as on gut permeability of the birds. A reduced growth performance was found for DON and/or exposed birds. Furthermore, it was found that the co-exposure of DON and aggravated the negative effect on paracellular permeability of the intestine already noticed for the bacteria or the mycotoxin alone by the Ussing chamber technique at certain times or intestinal segments. Furthermore, the increased paracellular permeability promotes the translocation of and to inner organs, namely liver and spleen. Interestingly, loads in the intestine were higher in DON-fed groups indicating a supportive growth effect of the mycotoxin. The actual study demonstrates that co-exposure of broiler chickens to DON and has not only considerable consequences on gut integrity but also on bacterial balance. These findings indicate that the co-exposure of broiler chickens to DON and could have a significant impact on gut health and bacteria translocation leading to an increased risk for public health.