Effects of feed-borne Fusarium mycotoxins and an organic mycotoxin adsorbent on immune cell dynamics in the jejunum of chickens infected with Eimeria maxima

An experiment was conducted to explore the effects of Fusarium mycotoxins common animal feed contaminants on intestinal Immune responses to coccidia (Eimeria) in chickens Effects of feed-borne Fusarium mycotoxins and a polymeric glucomannan mycotoxin adsorbent (GMA) on immune cell populations were studied in the jejunum of broiler breeder pullets using an Eimeria maxima infection model Birds were fed a control diet a diet naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins contaminated diet plus 0 2% GMA or control diet plus 0 2% GMA Contaminated diets contained up to 6 5 mu g/g deoxynivalenol (DON) 0 47 mu g/g 15-acetyl-DON and 073 mu g/g zearalenone Birds received a primary oral inoculation (1000 oocysts/bird) with E maxima USDA strain 68 at 2 weeks of age and a secondary oral inoculation (30 000 oocysts/bird) with the same strain at 4 weeks of age Diet-related differences in CD4(+) cell CD8(+) cell and macrophage recruitment pattern Into the jejunum were observed following both the primary and secondary infections It was concluded that feed-borne Fusarium mycotoxins and GMA have the potential to modulate Immune response to coccidial infections (C) 2010 Elsevier B V All rights reserved