Aflatoxin B1 affects apoptosis and expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3 in thymus and bursa of fabricius in broiler chickens

Aflatoxin B-1 is known as a mycotoxin that develops various health problems of animals, the effects of AFB(1) on thymus and bursa of Fabricius in chickens are not clear. The objective of this study was to investigate the apoptosis of thymus and bursa of Fabricius in broilers fed with AFB(1). Two hundred Avian broilers were randomly divided into four groups of 50 each, namely control group and three AFB(1) groups fed with 0.15 mg, 0.3 mg, and 0.6 mg AFB(1)/kg diet, respectively. In this study, flow cytometer and immunohistochemical approaches were used to determine the percentage of apoptotic cells and the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3. The results showed that consumption of AFB(1) diets results in increased percentage of apoptotic cells and increased expression of Caspase-3 in both thymus and bursa of Fabricius. The expression of Bax was increased and the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased in the thymus, but no significant changes in Bax and Bcl-2 expression were observed in the bursa of Fabricius when broilers fed with AFB(1). These findings suggest that adverse effects of AFB(1) on thymus and bursa of Fabricius in broilers were confirmed by increased apoptotic cells and abnormal expression of Caspase-3. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1113-1120, 2016.