Plant materials can be contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins and their derivatives, whose toxic effects on humans and animals may remain subclinical. Zearalenone (ZEN), a low-molecular-weight compound, is produced by molds in crop plants as a secondary metabolite. The objective of this study will be to analyze the in vivo correlations between very low monotonic doses of ZEN (5, 10, and 15 μg ZEN/kg body weight-BW for 42 days) and the carryover of this mycotoxin and its selected metabolites from the intestinal contents to the intestinal walls, the mRNA expression of estrogen receptor alfa (ERα) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) genes, and the mRNA expression of genes modulating selected colon enzymes (CYP1A1 and GSTP1) in the intestinal mucosa of pre-pubertal gilts. An in vivo experiment will be performed on 60 clinically healthy animals with initial BW of 14.5 ± 2 kg. The gilts will be randomly divided into a control group (group C, n = 15) and three experimental groups (group ZEN5, group ZEN10, and group ZEN15; n = 15). Group ZEN5 will be administered per os 5 μg ZEN/kg BW (MABEL), group ZEN10-10 μg ZEN/kg BW (NOAEL), and group ZEN15-15 µg ZEN/kg BW (low LOAEL). In each group, five animals will be euthanized on analytical dates 1 (exposure day 7), 2 (exposure day 21), and 3 (exposure day 42). Samples for in vitro analyses will be collected from an intestinal segment resected from the following regions: the third (horizontal) part of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, and descending colon. The experimental material will be collected under special conditions, and it will be transported to specialist laboratories where samples will be obtained for further analyses.
Keywords: CYP1A1 mRNA; ERs mRNA; GSTP1 mRNA; carryover factor; digestive tract; pre-pubertal gilts; zearalenone.