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  • PCV2 infection aggravates O...
    Gan, Fang; Hou, Lili; Xu, Haibin; Liu, Yunhuan; Chen, Xingxiang; Huang, Kehe

    Ecotoxicology and environmental safety, 04/2022, Volume: 235
    Journal Article

    Ochratoxin A (OTA), frequently existing in the food and feeds, could induce immunotoxicity. Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), as a primary causative agent of porcine circovirus–associated disease, also could induce immunosuppression. However, it is still unknown whether PCV2 infection impacts OTA-induced immunotoxicity. The pigs and porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) were used as the model in the present experiment. The results in vivo indicated that PCV2 infection exacerbated OTA-induced immunotoxicity, NF-κB p65 phosphorylation, and TLR4 and MyD88 mRNA and protein expression in spleen. The results in vitro showed that OTA at 7.0 and 9.0 μM decreased cell viability and increased LDH release of PAMs without PCV2 infection. However, with PCV2 infection, OTA at 5.0, 7.0 and 9.0 μM significantly decreased cell viability and increased LDH release compared with absence of PCV2 infection. In addition, OTA at 5.0 and 7.0 μM significantly increased Annexin V/PI-positive rate, apoptosis of nuclear, γ-H2AX foci, IL-1α and TNF-α expression in PAMs with PCV2 infection compared with absence of PCV2 infection. In addition, PCV2 infection enhanced OTA-induced TLR4 and MyD88 mRNA and protein expression and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation. Knockdown of TLR4 alleviated the exacerbating effects of PCV2 infection on OTA-induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis and DNA damage in PAMs. These results indicated that PCV2 infection aggravated OTA-induced immunotoxicity and reduced the dose of OTA-induced immunotoxicity via TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway, which could provide basis for establishing limits for OTA. Display omitted •PCV2 infection aggravated OTA-induced immunotoxicity in pigs and PAMs.•PCV2 infection aggravated OTA-induced TLR4/ NF-κB p65 signaling pathway in pigs and PAMs.•TLR4-siRNA eliminated the aggravating effects of PCV2 infection on OTA-induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis and DNA damage.•PCV2 infection aggravated OTA-induced immunotoxicity by promoting TLR/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway.