AUTHOR=Tao Weilai , Li Zhenzhen , Nabi Fazul , Hu Yu , Hu Zeyu , Liu Juan 

TITLE=Penthorum chinense Pursh Compound Ameliorates AFB1-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis via Modulation of Mitochondrial Pathways in Broiler Chicken Kidneys

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.750937

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2021.750937

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a carcinogenic mycotoxin widely present in foods and animal feeds; it represents a great risk to human and animal health. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of <italic>Penthorum chinense</italic> Pursh compound (PCPC) against AFB1-induced damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis via mitochondrial pathways in kidney tissues of broilers. One-day-old chickens (<italic>n</italic> = 180) were randomly allocated to six groups: control, AFB1 (2.8 mg AFB1/kg feed), positive drug (10 mLYCHT/kg feed), and PCPC high, medium, and low-dose groups (15, 10, and 5 ml PCPC/kg feed, respectively). AFB1 treatment reduced weight gain and induced oxidative stress and kidney damage in broiler tissues; however, PCPC supplementation effectively enhanced broiler performance, ameliorated AFB1-induced oxidative stress, and inhibited apoptosis in the kidneys of broilers. The mRNA expression levels of mitochondria-related apoptosis genes (Bax, Bak, cytochrome <italic>c</italic>, caspase-9, and caspase-3) were significantly increased, whereas <italic>BCL2</italic> expression level decreased in the AFB1 group. Supplementation of PCPC to the AFB1 group significantly reversed the changes in mRNA expression levels of these apoptosis-associated genes compared to those in the AFB1 group. The mRNA levels of <italic>NRF2</italic> and <italic>HMOX1</italic> in the kidneys of the AFB1 group were significantly reduced compared to those in the control group, whereas PCPC significantly increased the <italic>NRF2</italic> and <italic>HMOX1</italic> mRNA levels. AFB1 decreased the levels of Beclin1, LC3-I, and LC3-II and increased P53 levels in the kidney compared to those in the control, whereas PCPC significantly reversed these changes to normal levels of autophagy-related genes compared to those in the AFB1 group. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that PCPC ameliorated AFB1-induced oxidative stress by regulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes and mitochondrial pathways. Our results suggest that PCPC represents a natural and safe agent for preventing AFB1-induced injury and damage in broiler tissues.</p>