Zhang Ruiqi, Huangfu Bingxin, Xu Tongxiao, Opatola Victor Olusola, Ban Qiushi, Huang Kunlun, He Xiaoyun
Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Food Quality, Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, PR China.
Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Food Quality, Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, PR China.
Food Chem Toxicol. 2025 Feb;196:115140. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2024.115140. Epub 2024 Nov 23.
Zearalenone (ZEA), a mycotoxin prevalent in food crops, poses significant health risks, particularly through its impact on the gut-uterus axis. This study assessed the effects of a 5 mg/kg body weight ZEA dosage in female SD rats, focusing on gut microbiota alterations, inflammatory responses, and uterine changes. Our findings revealed substantial shifts in microbial composition, including significant reductions in beneficial genera such as Akkermansia and Ruminococcaceae and marked increases in pathogenic staphylococci, which correlated with elevated levels of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) in serum and uterine tissue. RNA sequencing of uterine samples indicated activation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) pathway, along with significant upregulation of MMP-2 and TIMP-2, enzymes associated with ECM remodelling. Correlation analysis showed a strong link between staphylococcal proliferation and ECM pathway activation, suggesting that ZEA-induced gut dysbiosis contributes to uterine inflammation and structural alterations. These results reveal how ZEA disrupts gut and uterine health, highlighting critical pathways that could serve as targets for future preventive and therapeutic strategies against mycotoxin exposure.
玉米赤霉烯酮（ZEA）是一种在粮食作物中普遍存在的霉菌毒素，会对健康构成重大风险，尤其是通过其对肠道-子宫轴的影响。本研究评估了5毫克/千克体重的ZEA剂量对雌性SD大鼠的影响，重点关注肠道微生物群的变化、炎症反应和子宫变化。我们的研究结果显示微生物组成发生了显著变化，包括阿克曼氏菌和瘤胃球菌科等有益菌属显著减少，致病性葡萄球菌显著增加，这与血清和子宫组织中毒性休克综合征毒素-1（TSST-1）水平升高相关。子宫样本的RNA测序表明细胞外基质（ECM）途径被激活，同时与ECM重塑相关的酶MMP-2和TIMP-2显著上调。相关性分析显示葡萄球菌增殖与ECM途径激活之间存在密切联系，表明ZEA诱导的肠道生态失调会导致子宫炎症和结构改变。这些结果揭示了ZEA如何破坏肠道和子宫健康，突出了关键途径，这些途径可作为未来针对霉菌毒素暴露的预防和治疗策略的靶点。
