Interpretive Summary: Zearalenone exposure differentially affects the ovarian proteome in pre-pubertal gilts during thermal neutral and heat stress conditions
By: Crystal M Roach, Edith J Mayorga, Lance H Baumgard, Jason W Ross, Aileen F Keating
Zearalenone (ZEN) is an estrogenic mycotoxin that impairs fertility in swine. This study was designed to identify the ovarian molecular impacts of ZEN exposure in thermal neutral (TN) pre-pubertal pigs. Additionally, whether heat stress (HS) would affect the ovarian ZEN response was also queried. Using a mass spectrometry approach, proteins that are altered in the ovaries of TN and HS pigs were noted to include those involved with chemical detoxification, metabolism, and inflammation. These findings may be of use in developing mitigation strategies to improve fertility in swine exposed to ZEN via contaminated feeds.
Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.
