fumonisin-b1 and Magnesium-Deficiency

The present study tested the hypotheses that 1) short-term dietary deficiency (MgD) of magnesium (21 days) would result in the upregulation of ceramide synthase (CS) in left ventricular (LV), right ventricular, atrial, and aortic smooth muscle, as well as induce a synthesis/release of select cytokines and chemokines into the LV and aortic smooth muscle and serum; 2) exposure of primary cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to low extracellular Mg concentration would lead to the synthesis/release of select cytokines/chemokines, activation of N-SMase, and the de novo synthesis of ceramide; and 3) inhibition of CS by fumonisin B1 (FB1) or inhibition of neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) by scyphostatin (SCY) in VSMCs exposed to low Mg would result in reductions in the levels of the cytokines/chemokines and lowered levels of ceramide concomitant with inhibition of NF-κB activation. The data indicated that short-term MgD (10% normal dietary intake) resulted in the upregulation of CS in ventricular, atrial, and aortic smooth muscles coupled to the synthesis/release of 12 different cytokines/chemokines, as well as activation of NF-κB in the LV and aortic smooth muscle and sera; even very low levels of water-borne Mg (e.g., 15 mg·l(-1)·day(-1)) either prevented or ameliorated the upregulation and synthesis of the cytokines/chemokines. Our experiments also showed that VSMCs exposed to low extracellular Mg resulted in the synthesis of 5 different cytokines and chemokines concomitant with synthesis/release of ceramide. However, inhibition of the synthesis and release of ceramide by either FB1 or SCY attenuated, markedly , the generation of ceramide, release of the cytokines/chemokines, and activation of NF-κB (as measured by activated p65 and cRel).

Topics: Amides; Animals; Aorta; Cells, Cultured; Ceramides; Cytokines; Diet; Disease Models, Animal; Drinking; Eating; Enzyme Inhibitors; Female; Fumonisins; Heart Atria; Heart Ventricles; Magnesium; Magnesium Deficiency; Male; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular; Myocytes, Cardiac; NF-kappa B; Oxidoreductases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel; Pyrones; Rats; Regression Analysis; Signal Transduction; Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase; Time Factors; Transcription Factor RelA; Up-Regulation

Fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium spp. mould that contaminates maize world-wide. Although its neurodegenerative potential is well established, mechanisms and acute effects of FB(1) on neurons are still not completely understood. Our previous study on astrocytes and neuroblastoma cells demonstrated that acute FB(1) exposure inhibits mitochondrial complex I and leads to mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization and calcium deregulation. To further explore the mechanisms of FB(1) neurotoxicity, we here investigated the effects of acute FB(1) co-exposure with glutamate and in the low magnesium model of epilepsy on neuronal calcium level, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell death in glio-neuronal cultures. FB(1) increased the glutamate-induced calcium signal in neurons and changed neuronal calcium signals to more sustained intracellular calcium rises in the low magnesium model of epilepsy that coincided with mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization. FB(1) co-exposure increased the percentage of dead neurons in low magnesium conditions dose dependently when compared with low magnesium exposure only, whereas in FB(1) and glutamate co-exposure neuronal death remained unchanged when compared with glutamate treatment only. Our results show that FB(1) makes neurons more vulnerable to glutamate-induced toxicity and epileptiform conditions, indicating that FB(1) can enhance the detrimental effect of these conditions on neurons.

Topics: Animals; Calcium Signaling; Cell Death; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Cerebral Cortex; Coculture Techniques; Culture Media; Fumonisins; Glutamic Acid; Magnesium Deficiency; Membrane Potentials; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Mitochondria; Mycotoxins; Neuroglia; Neurons; Rats; Seizures