Increases in serum sphingosine and sphinganine and decreases in complex sphingolipids in ponies given feed containing fumonisins, mycotoxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme.
Abstract: Consumption of food contaminated with Fusarium moniliforme causes leucoencephalomalacia and hepatotoxicity in horses, pulmonary edema in pigs and liver cancer in rats, and has been correlated with esophageal cancer in humans. The causative agents are thought to be a family of compounds called fumonisins, which have recently been shown to be potent inhibitors of sphingosine (sphinganine) N-acyltransferase. Because inhibition at this step blocks the formation of complex sphingolipids while leading to accumulation of sphinganine, we hypothesized that exposure of animals to fumonisin-contaminated feed might be detected by analyses of serum sphingolipids. Within days of giving ponies feed contaminated with 15 to 44 micrograms/g fumonisin B1, there was an increase in the amount of free sphinganine (and sometimes sphingosine) and a reduction in complex sphingolipids. Free sphinganine and sphingosine decreased when ponies consumed less of the contaminated feed, and increased again when they consumed more fumonisin. When toxicosis was evident as indicated by other serum markers, complex sphingolipids as well as free sphingosine and sphinganine were elevated, probably due to loss of sphingolipids from dying cells. These findings establish that consumption of fumonisin-contaminated feed disrupts sphingolipid metabolism. Because the changes in sphinganine and sphingosine were seen before liver enzymes were noticeably elevated, they may be an early marker of exposure to fumonisins.
Publication Date: 1992-08-11 PubMed ID: 1640265DOI: 10.1093/jn/122.8.1706Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This research investigates how consuming food contaminated with fumonisins, which are toxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme, alters the sphingolipid metabolism in ponies. The study found that exposure to fumonisins leads to an increase in free sphinganine and sphingosine and a decrease in complex sphingolipids within a few days, which could serve as an early indicator of fumonisin exposure.
Objective of the Research
- The aim of the research was to determine if exposure to fumonisins, a type of mycotoxin produced by Fusarium moniliforme, could be identified through changes in serum sphingolipids in ponies.
Background Information
- Fusarium moniliforme is a fungus that produces a family of toxins named fumonisins that cause leucoencephalomalacia and hepatotoxicity in horses, liver cancer in rats, and have been correlated with esophageal cancer in humans.
- Fumonisins are robust inhibitors of sphingosine (sphinganine) N-acyltransferase. The interference of these inhibitors with this metabolic process hinders the production of complex sphingolipids and leads to the accumulation of sphinganine.
Research Method
- The researchers administered feed, contaminated with varying concentrations of fumonisin B1, to ponies and monitored changes in their serum sphingolipids.
Results
- Within a few days of consuming the contaminated feed, there was an increase in the amount of free sphinganine and sometimes sphingosine, and a decrease in complex sphingolipids.
- When the consumption of contaminated feed was reduced, the levels of free sphinganine and sphingosine decreased, but increased again when more fumonisin was consumed.
- When toxicosis became evident in ponies through other serum markers, there were elevations in complex sphingolipids and free sphingosine and sphinganine, probably as a result of dying cells releasing sphingolipids.
Conclusion
- The findings indicate that the intake of fumonisin-contaminated feed disrupts sphingolipid metabolism in ponies.
- Changes in sphinganine and sphingosine were observed before any significant increase in liver enzymes, suggesting that they could serve as early markers of exposure to fumonisins.
Cite This Article
APA
Wang E, Ross PF, Wilson TM, Riley RT, Merrill AH.
(1992).
Increases in serum sphingosine and sphinganine and decreases in complex sphingolipids in ponies given feed containing fumonisins, mycotoxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme.
J Nutr, 122(8), 1706-1716.
https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/122.8.1706 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322.
MeSH Terms
- Animal Feed
- Animals
- Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
- Food Contamination
- Fumonisins
- Fusarium / metabolism
- Horses / blood
- Kinetics
- Liver / enzymology
- Mycotoxins / pharmacology
- Sphingolipids / blood
- Sphingosine / analogs & derivatives
- Sphingosine / blood
Grant Funding
- GM33369 / NIGMS NIH HHS
Citations
This article has been cited 22 times.- Lumsangkul C, Tso KH, Fan YK, Chiang HI, Ju JC. Mycotoxin Fumonisin B(1) Interferes Sphingolipid Metabolisms and Neural Tube Closure during Early Embryogenesis in Brown Tsaiya Ducks.. Toxins (Basel) 2021 Oct 20;13(11).
- Chen J, Wen J, Tang Y, Shi J, Mu G, Yan R, Cai J, Long M. Research Progress on Fumonisin B1 Contamination and Toxicity: A Review.. Molecules 2021 Aug 29;26(17).
- Janevska S, Ferling I, Jojić K, Rautschek J, Hoefgen S, Proctor RH, Hillmann F, Valiante V. Self-Protection against the Sphingolipid Biosynthesis Inhibitor Fumonisin B(1) Is Conferred by a FUM Cluster-Encoded Ceramide Synthase.. mBio 2020 Jun 16;11(3).
- Pietsch C. Risk assessment for mycotoxin contamination in fish feeds in Europe.. Mycotoxin Res 2020 Feb;36(1):41-62.
- Schertz H, Dänicke S, Frahm J, Schatzmayr D, Dohnal I, Bichl G, Schwartz-Zimmermann HE, Colicchia S, Breves G, Teifke JP, Kluess J. Biomarker Evaluation and Toxic Effects of an Acute Oral and Systemic Fumonisin Exposure of Pigs with a Special Focus on Dietary Fumonisin Esterase Supplementation.. Toxins (Basel) 2018 Jul 17;10(7).
- Bertero A, Moretti A, Spicer LJ, Caloni F. Fusarium Molds and Mycotoxins: Potential Species-Specific Effects.. Toxins (Basel) 2018 Jun 15;10(6).
- Reisinger N, Dohnal I, Nagl V, Schaumberger S, Schatzmayr G, Mayer E. Fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) Induces Lamellar Separation and Alters Sphingolipid Metabolism of In Vitro Cultured Hoof Explants.. Toxins (Basel) 2016 Mar 24;8(4):89.
- Xue KS, Tang L, Cai Q, Shen Y, Su J, Wang JS. Mitigation of Fumonisin Biomarkers by Green Tea Polyphenols in a High-Risk Population of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.. Sci Rep 2015 Dec 2;5:17545.
- Direito GM, Almeida AP, Aquino S, Alves Dos Reis T, Rodrigues Pozzi C, Corrêa B. Evaluation of sphingolipids in Wistar rats treated to prolonged and single oral doses of fumonisin b₁.. Int J Mol Sci 2009 Jan;10(1):50-61.
- Cai Q, Tang L, Wang JS. Validation of fumonisin biomarkers in F344 rats.. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2007 Nov 15;225(1):28-39.
- Dombrink-Kurtzman MA. Fumonisin and beauvericin induce apoptosis in turkey peripheral blood lymphocytes.. Mycopathologia 2003;156(4):357-64.
- Abbas HK, Tanaka T, Duke SO, Porter JK, Wray EM, Hodges L, Sessions AE, Wang E, Merrill AH Jr, Riley RT. Fumonisin- and AAL-Toxin-Induced Disruption of Sphingolipid Metabolism with Accumulation of Free Sphingoid Bases.. Plant Physiol 1994 Nov;106(3):1085-1093.
- Riley RT, Enongene E, Voss KA, Norred WP, Meredith FI, Sharma RP, Spitsbergen J, Williams DE, Carlson DB, Merrill AH Jr. Sphingolipid perturbations as mechanisms for fumonisin carcinogenesis.. Environ Health Perspect 2001 May;109 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):301-8.
- Merrill AH Jr, Sullards MC, Wang E, Voss KA, Riley RT. Sphingolipid metabolism: roles in signal transduction and disruption by fumonisins.. Environ Health Perspect 2001 May;109 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):283-9.
- Haschek WM, Gumprecht LA, Smith G, Tumbleson ME, Constable PD. Fumonisin toxicosis in swine: an overview of porcine pulmonary edema and current perspectives.. Environ Health Perspect 2001 May;109 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):251-7.
- Voss KA, Plattner RD, Riley RT, Meredith FI, Norred WP. In vivo effects of fumonisin B1-producing and fumonisin B1-nonproducing Fusarium moniliforme isolates are similar: fumonisins B2 and B3 cause hepato- and nephrotoxicity in rats.. Mycopathologia 1998;141(1):45-58.
- Zacharias C, van Echten-Deckert G, Wang E, Merrill AH Jr, Sandhoff K. The effect of fumonisin B1 on developing chick embryos: correlation between de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis and gross morphological changes.. Glycoconj J 1996 Apr;13(2):167-75.
- Wang W, Jones C, Ciacci-Zanella J, Holt T, Gilchrist DG, Dickman MB. Fumonisins and Alternaria alternata lycopersici toxins: sphinganine analog mycotoxins induce apoptosis in monkey kidney cells.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1996 Apr 16;93(8):3461-5.
- Kaneshiro T, Vesonder RF, Peterson RE, Bagby MO. 2-Hydroxyhexadecanoic and 8,9,13-trihydroxydocosanoic acid accumulation by yeasts treated with fumonisin B1.. Lipids 1993 May;28(5):397-401.
- Bacon CW, Porter JK, Norred WP. Toxic interaction of fumonisin B1 and fusaric acid measured by injection into fertile chicken egg.. Mycopathologia 1995;129(1):29-35.
- Restum JC, Bursian SJ, Millerick M, Render JA, Merrill AH Jr, Wang E, Rottinghaus GE, Aulerich RJ. Chronic toxicity of fumonisins from Fusarium moniliforme culture material (M-1325) to mink.. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 1995 Nov;29(4):545-50.
- Martinova EA, Merrill AH Jr. Fumonisin B1 alters sphingolipid metabolism and immune function in BALB/c mice: immunological responses to fumonisin B1.. Mycopathologia 1995 Jun;130(3):163-70.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
