Integrated Metabolomics and Lipidomics Analysis Reveals Lipid Metabolic Disorder in NCM460 Cells Caused by Aflatoxin B1 and Aflatoxin M1 Alone and in Combination

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) are universally found as environmental pollutants. AFB1 and AFM1 are group 1 human carcinogens. Previous sufficient toxicological data show that they pose a health risk. The intestine is vital for resistance to foreign pollutants. The enterotoxic mechanisms of AFB1 and AFM1 have not been clarified at the metabolism levels. In the present study, cytotoxicity evaluations of AFB1 and AFM1 were conducted in NCM 460 cells by obtaining their half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). The toxic effects of 2.5 mu M AFB1 and AFM1 were determined by comprehensive metabolomics and lipidomics analyses on NCM460 cells. A combination of AFB1 and AFM1 induced more extensive metabolic disturbances in NCM460 cells than either aflatoxin alone. AFB1 exerted a greater effect in the combination group. Metabolomics pathway analysis showed that glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid degradation, and propanoate metabolism were dominant pathways that were interfered with by AFB1, AFM1, and AFB1+AFM1. Those results suggest that attention should be paid to lipid metabolism after AFB1 and AFM1 exposure. Further, lipidomics was used to explore the fluctuation of AFB1 and AFM1 in lipid metabolism. The 34 specific lipids that were differentially induced by AFB1 were mainly attributed to 14 species, of which cardiolipin (CL) and triacylglycerol (TAG) accounted for 41%. AFM1 mainly affected CL and phosphatidylglycerol, approximately 70% based on 11 specific lipids, while 30 specific lipids were found in AFB1+AFM1, mainly reflected in TAG up to 77%. This research found for the first time that the lipid metabolism disorder caused by AFB1 and AFM1 was one of the main causes contributing to enterotoxicity, which could provide new insights into the toxic mechanisms of AFB1 and AFM1 in animals and humans.

Automated summary

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) are environmental pollutants that pose a carcinogenic risk to humans. This study found that AFB1 and AFM1 affect intestinal resistance to pollutants and cause lipid metabolism disorders, which may be the main mechanism of their enterotoxicity.