Obesity promotes fumonisin B1 hepatotoxicity

Obesity, which is a worldwide public health issue, is associated with chronic inflammation that contribute to long-term complications, including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We hypothesized that obesity may also influence the sensitivity to food contaminants, such as fumonisin B1 (FB1), a mycotoxin produced mainly by the Fusarium verticillioides. FB1, a common contaminant of corn, is the most abundant and best characterized member of the fumonisins family. We investigated whether diet-induced obesity could modulate the sensitivity to oral FB1 exposure, with emphasis on gut health and hepatotoxicity. Thus, metabolic effects of FB1 were assessed in obese and non-obese male C57BL/6J mice. Mice received a high-fat diet (HFD) or normal chow diet (CHOW) for 15 weeks. Then, during the last three weeks, mice were exposed to these diets in combination or not with FB1 (10 mg/kg body weight/day) through drinking water. As expected, HFD feeding induced significant body weight gain, increased fasting glycemia, and hepatic steatosis. Combined exposure to HFD and FB1 resulted in body weight loss and a decrease in fasting blood glucose level. This co-exposition also induces gut dysbiosis, an increase in plasma FB1 level, a decrease in liver weight and hepatic steatosis. Moreover, plasma transaminase levels were significantly increased and associated with liver inflammation in HFD/FB1-treated mice. Liver gene expression analysis revealed that the combined exposure to HFD and FB1 was associated with reduced expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and increased expression of immune response and These results suggest that, in the context of obesity, FB1 exposure promotes gut dysbiosis and severe liver inflammation. To our knowledge, this study provides the first example of obesity-induced hepatitis in response to a food contam

Automated summary

Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation and can lead to various long-term complications. This study explored whether obesity influences sensitivity to the food contaminant FB1, particularly in relation to gut health and hepatotoxicity. The results showed that combined exposure to a high-fat diet and FB1 in obese mice resulted in weight loss, decreased blood glucose levels, gut dysbiosis, increased plasma FB1 levels, decreased liver weight, hepatic steatosis, and liver inflammation. These findings suggest that FB1 exposure promotes gut dysbiosis and severe liver inflammation in the context of obesity.