Effects of aflatoxin B1 on oxidative stress markers and apoptosis of spleens in broilers

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the oxidative damage and apoptosis induced by aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) in spleen of broilers. A total of 200 one-day-old avian male broilers were randomly divided into 4 equal groups of 50 each and were fed for 21 days as follows: a control diet and three AFB(1) diets containing 0.15, 0.3, and 0.6 mg AFB(1)/kg diet. Consumption of AFB(1) diets induced oxidative stress in the spleen of chicken as evidenced by reduced glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and catalase activities, decreased glutathione contents, and increased malondialdehyde contents in explaining the pathogenesis. Flow cytometer method and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling assay revealed that the apoptotic splenocytes were increased in AFB(1) groups. The results suggest that AFB1 induced excessive apoptosis of splenic lymphocytes, which is correlated with increased oxidative stress. The present results may be helpful for explaining the pathogenesis of AFB(1)-induced immunosuppression.