Effect of sterigmatocystin and 5-metoxysterigmatocystin on albumin concentration and lactate dehydrogenase activity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in Wistar strain rats

Mikotoksini su raznolika skupina sekundarnih metabolita plijesni koji se mogu pronaći u hrani za ljude i životinje te zraku pljesnivih stambenih prostora. Uzrokuju bolesti (mikotoksikoze) konzumiranjem kontaminirane hrane, dermalnim putem ili inhalacijom spora. Mikotoksini se istražuju zbog toksičnih učinaka, gubitaka u poljoprivredi te povezanosti s klimatskim promjenama. Sterigmatocistin je sekundarni metabolit koji najčešće proizvode plijesni iz roda Aspergillus. Strukturno je sličan najtoksičnijem karcinogenu u prirodi – aflatoksinu. Toksični učinci sterigmatocistina nisu dovoljno istraženi, ali je klasificiran kao mogući karcinogen za ljude. Neke plijesni iz roda Aspergillus često uz sterigmatocistin proizvode 5-metoksisterigmatocistin, pogotovo u vlažnim stambenim prostorima. Pojam sindrom bolesnih zgrada opisuje skup simptoma bolesti respiratornog i središnjeg živčanog sustava te se mogu povezati s mikotoksinima. U ovom su pokusu mužjaci štakora soja Wistar jednokratno tretirani intratrahealnom instilacijom sterigmatocistinom, 5-metoksisterigmatocistinom i njihovom kombinacijom. U bronhoalveolarnoj tekućini mjerena je koncentracija albumina kao indikatora propusnosti membrane krvnih žila i aktivnost laktat dehidrogenaze u svrhu određivanja citotoksičnosti. Povećana koncentracija albumina i povećana aktivnost lakstat dehidrogenaze ukazuju na toksičnost ovih mikotoksina. Iako rezultati nisu statistički značajni, važan su doprinos poznavanju toksičnosti ovih mikotoksina izloženima putem dišnog sustava te ukazuju na potrebu budućih istraživanja o dugotrajnoj izloženosti sterigmatocistinu i 5-metoksisterigmatocistinu.Mycotoxins are a diverse group of secondary metabolites produced by molds and can be found in food and feed or air of moldy indoor spaces. They cause diseases (mycotoxicosis) via ingestion of contaminated food, through skin or inhalation of spores. Mycotoxins are studied for their toxic effects, because they cause agricultural losses, and in association with climate change. Sterigmatocystin is a secondary metabolite mostly produced by Aspergillus molds. Structurally it is similar to the most potent carcinogen found in nature – aflatoxin. Even though the toxic effects of sterigmatocystin are not well-known, it is classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Some Aspergillus molds often produce 5-metoxysterigmatocystin together with sterigmatocystin, especially in moldy indoor environments. The term sick building syndrome describes a group of respiratory and central nervous system disease symptoms that can be related to mycotoxins. In the present experiment, male Wistar strain rats were intratracheally instilled with a single dose of sterigmatocystin, 5-metoxisterigmatocystin and their combination. In bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, the following parameters were measured: concentration of albumin as an indicator of vascular membrane permeability and lactate dehydrogenase activity as an indicator of cytotoxicity. Results of acute treatment showed an increase in albumin concentration and increase of lactate dehydrogenase activity. Even though our results were not statistically significant, they contribute to the general knowledge on the toxicity of these mycotoxins and they are important for future research into long-term exposure to mycotoxins