ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of zinc supplementation on immunotoxicity induced by subchronic oral exposure to glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH). METHODS: Sixty adult male Wistar rats randomly divided equally into six groups were exposed to GBH by gavage daily for 16 weeks with or without zinc pretreatment. Group DW rats received distilled water (2 mL/kg), group Z rats received zinc (50 mg/kg), and group G1 and G2 rats received 187.5 and 375 mg/kg GBH, respectively. Group ZG1 and ZG2 rats were pretreated with 50 mg/kg zinc before exposure to 187.5 and 375 mg/kg GBH, respectively. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM, IgE) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Spleen, submandibular lymph node, and thymus samples were processed for histopathology. RESULTS: Exposure to GBH (G1 and G2) significantly increased serum TNF-α concentrations and significantly decreased serum IgG and IgM concentrations compared with the control levels. Moderate-to-severe lymphocyte depletion occurred in the spleen, lymph nodes, and thymus in the GBH-exposed groups. Zinc supplementation mitigated the immunotoxic effects of GBH exposure. CONCLUSIONS: GBH exposure increased pro-inflammatory cytokine responses, decreased immunoglobulin production, and depleted lymphocytes in lymphoid organs in rats, but zinc supplementation mitigated this immunotoxicity.
Subject(s)
Herbicides , Zinc , Animals , Male , Rats , Dietary Supplements , Herbicides/toxicity , Immunoglobulin G , Immunoglobulin M , Rats, Wistar , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha , Zinc/pharmacology , GlyphosateABSTRACT
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious fatal infectious disease of pigs and wild suids. The disease has a worldwide occurrence and significant impact on pig production. Two adult intensively raised large white boars from two farms in Jos with a history of sudden death were diagnosed of ASF between July and August 2019. Post-mortem examination of carcasses grossly showed splenomegaly, haemorrhagic lymphadenitis and hepatomegaly with severe congestion. The kidneys were enlarged and had generalized petechiae and blood clot in the pelvis. The heart was moderately enlarged. Microscopic examination of the spleen and lymph nodes revealed severe lymphocytic depletion, haemorrhage and severe haemosiderosis. The liver was severely congested with focal coagulative necrosis of the hepatocytes. The kidneys were severely congested and showed renal tubular necrosis with few tubular protein casts. Tissue samples were confirmed to be positive for African swine fever virus (ASFV) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate belonged to genotype I.
