Toxicopathological studies on the effects of T-2 mycotoxin and their interaction in juvenile goats

Food and feeds contaminated with mycotoxins have been a threat to the rearing industry by causing some of the most fatal toxic reactions not only in the farm animals but also in humans who consume them. Toxicity to juvenile goats was induced by feed contamination with T-2 toxin (at 10 and 20 ppm dosage; group I and II, respectively). The toxicity impact was assessed on days 15 and 30 post treatment with respect to growth performance, oxidative stress, apoptotic studies and detailed pathomorphology. The study revealed that apart from the obvious clinical toxicosis (weakness, lethargy, and retardation in growth), the toxin fed groups also exhibited significant haematological (reduced hemoglobin, total leukocyte and thrombocyte counts) and biochemical changes (increased levels of oxidative stress markers with concomitant decrease in levels of serum and tissue catalase and superoxide dismutase). The pathomorphological and histological alterations suggested that the liver and intestine were the most affected organs. Ultra-structurally, varying degrees of degeneration, cytoplasmic vacuolations and pleomorphic mitochondria were observed in the hepatocytes and the enterocytes of the intestine. Kidney also revealed extensive degeneration of the cytoplasmic organelles with similar condensation of the heterochromatin whereas the neuronal degeneration was characterized by circular, whirling structures. In addition, the central vein and portal triad of the hepatocytes, cryptic epithelial cells of the intestine, MLNs in the lymphoid follicles, PCT and DCT of the nephronal tissues and the white pulp of the spleen exhibited extensive apoptosis. In this study, it was also observed that the expression of HSPs, pro-apoptotic proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly upregulated in response to the toxin treatment. These results suggest that the pathogenesis of T-2 toxicosis in goats employs oxidative, apoptotic and inflammatory mechanisms.