Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation on Serum Lipid Profile and Blood Pressure in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) supplementation on serum lipid profile and blood pressure in patients with metabolic syndrome. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane library from database inception to 30 April 2022. This meta-analysis included eight trials with 387 participants. We found that supplementation of n-3 PUFAs has no significant reduction in TC level (SMD = -0.02; 95% CI: -0.22 ~ 0.18, I2 = 23.7%) and LDL-c level in serum (SMD = 0.18; 95% CI: -0.18 ~ 0.53, I2 = 54.9%) of patients with metabolic syndrome. Moreover, we found no significant increase in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (SMD = 0.02; 95% CI: -0.21 ~ 0.25, I2 = 0%) in patients with metabolic syndrome after consuming n-3 PUFAs. In addition, we found that n-3 PUFAs can significantly decrease serum triglyceride levels (SMD= -0.39; 95% CI: -0.59 ~ -0.18, I2 = 17.2%), systolic blood pressure (SMD = -0.54; 95% CI: -0.86 ~ -0.22, I2 = 48.6%), and diastolic blood pressure (SMD = -0.56; 95% CI: -0.79 ~ 0.33, I2 = 14.0%) in patients with metabolic syndrome. The results from the sensitivity analysis confirmed that our results were robust. These findings suggest that n-3 PUFA supplementation may serve as a potential dietary supplement for improving lipids and blood pressure in metabolic syndrome. Given the quality of the included studies, further studies are still needed to verify our findings.

Inverse relations between Helicobacter pylori infection and risk of esophageal precancerous lesions in drinkers and peanut consumption.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative bacterium found in the upper digestive tract. Although H. pylori infection is an identified risk factor for gastric cancer, its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains a topic of much debate. AIM: To evaluate the association between H. pylori infection and the risk of precancerous lesions of ESCC, and further explore the association between dietary factors and the risk of H. pylori infection. METHODS: Two hundred patients with esophageal precancerous lesions (EPL) aged 63.01 ± 6.08 years and 200 healthy controls aged 62.85 ± 6.03 years were included in this case-control study. Epidemiological data and qualitative food frequency data were investigated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measuring serum immunoglobulin G antibodies was used to determine H. pylori seropositivity. An unconditional logistic regression model was used to assess the association between H. pylori infection and EPL risk dichotomized by gender, age, and the use of tobacco and alcohol, as well as the association between dietary factors and the risk of H. pylori infection. RESULTS: A total of 47 (23.5%) EPL cases and 58 (29.0%) healthy controls had positive H. pylori infection. An inverse relation between H. pylori infection and the risk of EPL was found in the group of drinkers after adjustment for covariates [odds ratio (OR) = 0.32, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.11-0.95]. Additionally, peanut intake was significantly associated with a decreased risk of H. pylori infection (OR = 0.39, 95%CI: 0.20-0.74). CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that H. pylori infection may decrease the risk of EPL for drinkers in a rural adult Chinese population, and the consumption of peanut may reduce the risk of H. pylori infection. These findings should be framed as preliminary evidence, and further studies are required to address whether the mechanisms are related to the localization of lesions and alcohol consumption.

The Effects of Peanuts and Tree Nuts on Lipid Profile in Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Controlled-Feeding Clinical Studies.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus was found to be associated with metabolic disorders, particularly abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. Dietary food choices may have profound effects on blood lipids. The primary objective of this study was to examine the effects of peanuts and tree nuts intake on lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: According to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines, we performed a systematic search of randomized controlled clinical trials and systematic reviews published in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane library, from inception through June 2021. Studies in populations with type 2 diabetes, which compare nuts or peanuts to a controlled-diet group were included. We used the mean difference with 95% CIs to present estimates for continuous outcomes from individual studies. In addition, we used the GRADEpro tool to evaluate the overall quality of evidence. Results: Sixteen studies involving 1,041 participants were eligible for this review. The results showed that peanuts and tree nuts supplementation did not induce significant changes in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (mean difference = -0.11; 95%CI: -0.25 - 0.03, p = 0.117) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (mean difference = 0.01; 95%CI: -0.01 - 0.04, p = 0.400) in patients with type 2 diabetics. In addition, we found that peanuts and tree nuts intake may cause a significantly reduction in total cholesterol (TC) (mean difference = -0.14; 95%CI: -0.26 - -0.02, p = 0.024) and triglyceride (TG) (mean difference = -0.10; 95%CI: -0.17 - -0.02, p = 0.010). In the subgroup analysis, a significantly greater reduction in TC was observed in studies which duration was <12 weeks (mean difference = -0.22; 95%CI: -0.37 - -0.08, p = 0.002). The quality of the body of evidence was "moderate" for TC and TG, the quality of evidence for LDL-C and HDL-C were "low." Conclusion: Our findings suggest that consuming peanuts and tree nuts might be beneficial to lower TC concentration and TG concentration in type 2 diabetics subjects. Furthermore, peanuts and tree nuts supplementation could be considered as a part of a healthy lifestyle in the management of blood lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes. Given some limits observed in the current studies, more well-designed trials are still needed.

Consumption of cranberry as adjuvant therapy for urinary tract infections in susceptible populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis.

The efficacy of cranberry (Vaccinium spp.) as adjuvant therapy in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) remains controversial. This study aims to update and determine cranberry effects as adjuvant therapy on the recurrence rate of UTIs in susceptible groups. According to PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a literature search in Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library from their inception dates to June 2021. We included articles with data on the incidence of UTIs in susceptible populations using cranberry-containing products. We then conducted a trial sequential analysis to control the risk of type I and type II errors. This meta-analysis included 23 trials with 3979 participants. We found that cranberry-based products intake can significantly reduce the incidence of UTIs in susceptible populations (risk ratio (RR) = 0.70; 95% confidence interval(CI): 0.59 ~ 0.83; P<0.01). We identified a relative risk reduction of 32%, 45% and 51% in women with recurrent UTIs (RR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.56 ~ 0.81), children (RR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.31 ~ 0.97) and patients using indwelling catheters (RR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.33 ~ 0.73). Meanwhile, a relative risk reduction of 35% in people who use cranberry juice compared with those who use cranberry capsule or tablet was observed in the subgroup analysis (RR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.54 ~ 0.77). The TSA result for the effects of cranberry intake and the decreased risk of UTIs in susceptible groups indicated that the effects were conclusive. In conclusion, our meta-analysis demonstrates that cranberry supplementation significantly reduced the risk of developing UTIs in susceptible populations. Cranberry can be considered as adjuvant therapy for preventing UTIs in susceptible populations. However, given the limitations of the included studies in this meta-analysis, the conclusion should be interpreted with caution.

Multisite survey of bacterial contamination in ready-to-eat meat products throughout the cooking and selling processes in urban supermarket, Nanjing, China.

OBJECTIVE: Ready-to-eat (RTE) meat is a kind of popular instant food easily contaminated by microbes, which is one of the causes of foodborne diseases. This study analyzes the possible sources of RTE food bacterial contamination during processing and subsequent selling. METHOD: Samples of eight kinds of RTE meat were collected from four supermarkets in Nanjing, China. The knives, chopping boards, trays(containers of food), clamps, air, water, and hands of the sales staff were sampled, and the enumeration of aerobic plate count and total coliforms and pathogenic bacteria was performed. RESULTS: The survey revealed that poor hygienic levels was the causes that RTE meat products were contaminated by bacteria at different levels. With regard to pathogen, the incidences of Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were 4.2% and 2.1%, respectively. These results also revealed that the bacterial contamination of RTE food was caused by the air, as well as clamps, chopping boards, knives, trays, and hands of the operators. The total number of aerobic colonies were positively correlated with the amount of RTE food in one pot (r = .87728, p = .0217), and negatively correlated with the maximum temperature in the center of the meat (r = -.81633, p = .0475). CONCLUSION: The high number of bacteria in RTE foods indicates potential food safety risks and the need to improve the health of supermarket sales staff. The most important thing is to determine how to raise hygiene awareness of employees through food safety education. Meanwhile, a comprehensive set of regulations on hand cleaning and disinfection should be developed to facilitate public health and reduce foodborne illness caused by the consumption of RTE food.

Determination of dietary nitrite in patients with esophageal pre-cancerous lesion and normal people: a duplicate diet study.

The goal of this study was to find the relationship between dietary nitrite and risk of esophageal cancer, and determine the amount of nitrite intake to establish the oral highest daily intake to prevent the occurrence of esophageal cancer. Duplicate portions of three-consecutive-day diets were collected from 100 patients with esophageal precancerous lesions and 100 controls. The average nitrite daily intakes for esophageal precancerous lesions and normal people were 15.72 mg/d and 11.11 mg/d. The median nitrite daily intakes for cases and controls were 8.76 mg/d and 5.33 mg/d. Positive association was observed between the risk of esophageal precancerous lesions and dietary nitrite intake (p = 0.035). An increased risk of esophageal precancerous lesions was observed for cases or controls in the highest intake quartile of nitrite (highest vs. lowest quartile odds ratio (OR) = 2.256, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.012-5.026). These results suggest that dietary nitrite intake may influence the risk of esophageal cancer; populations with high incidence of esophageal cancer should take control of nitrite intake as one of the measures to prevent esophageal cancer.

Optimisation of steam distillation extraction oil from onion by response surface methodology and its chemical composition.

Oil extraction from onion was performed by steam distillation. Response surface methodology was applied to evaluate the effects of ratio of water to raw material, extraction time, zymolysis temperature and distillation times on yield of onion oil. The maximum extraction yield (1.779%) was obtained as following conditions: ratio of water to raw material was 1, extraction time was 2.5 h, zymolysis temperature was 36° and distillation time was 2.6 h. The experimental values agreed well with those predicted by regression model. The chemical composition of extracted onion oil under the optimum conditions was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technology. The results showed that sulphur compounds, like alkanes, sulphide, alkenes, ester and alcohol, were the major components of onion oil.

Antioxidant activities of aqueous extracts from 12 Chinese edible flowers in vitro and in vivo.

The antioxidant function of edible flowers have attracted increasing interest. However, information is lacking on the impact of edible flowers on oxidative injury including hypoxia-re-oxygenation and hyperlipidemia. The antioxidant activities of aqueous extracts from 12 Chinese edible flowers were assessed in four different antioxidant models, including total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), scavenging hydroxyl radical capacity (SHRC) and scavenging superoxide anion radical capacity (SSARC). Subsequently, the potential antioxidant effects on rat cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (rCMEC) treated with hypoxia-re-oxygenation and hyperlipidemia rats induced by high-fat diet were also evaluated. The highest TAC, ORAC, SHRC and SSARC were Lonicera japonica Thunb., Rosa rugosa Thunb., Chrysanthemum indicum L. and Rosa rugosa Thunb., respectively. Most aqueous extracts of edible flowers exhibited good antioxidant effects on injury of rCMEC induced by hypoxia-re-oxygenation. In addition, the aqueous extracts of Lonicera japonica Thunb., Carthamus tinctorius L., Magnolia officinalis Rehd. et Wils., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. could suppress the build-up of oxidative stress by increasing serum superoxide dismutase, glutathion peroxidase, and reducing malonaldehyde concentration in hyperlipidemia rats. These findings provided scientific support for screening edible flowers as natural antioxidants and preventative treatments for oxidative stress-related diseases.

Low n-6/n-3 PUFA Ratio Improves Lipid Metabolism, Inflammation, Oxidative Stress and Endothelial Function in Rats Using Plant Oils as n-3 Fatty Acid Source.

Lipid metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial function play important roles in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which may be affected by an imbalance in the n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio on these cardiovascular risk factors in rats fed a high-fat diet using plant oils as the main n-3 PUFA source. The 1:1 and 5:1 ratio groups had significantly decreased serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and proinflammatory cytokines compared with the 20:1 group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the 20:1 group had significantly increased serum levels of E-Selectin, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and numerous markers of oxidative stress compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). The 1:1 group had a significantly decreased lipid peroxide level compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). Serum levels of malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species and vWF tended to increase with n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios increasing from 5:1 to 20:1. We demonstrated that low n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (1:1 and 5:1) had a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk factors by enhancing favorable lipid profiles, having anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects, and improving endothelial function. A high n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (20:1) had adverse effects. Our results indicated that low n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios exerted beneficial cardiovascular effects, suggesting that plant oils could be used as a source of n-3 fatty acids to prevent CVD. They also suggested that we should be aware of possible adverse effects from excessive n-3 PUFA.

Biochemical analysis and hypoglycemic activity of a polysaccharide isolated from the fruit of Lycium barbarum L.

Purification, characterization and hypoglycemic activities of polysaccharide from Lycium barbarum L. were investigated in this study. A water soluble polysaccharide (LBP) was obtained with ultrafiltration membranes separation, which was further purified by chromatography of DEAE cellulose column and Sephadex G-150 to get LBP3a and LBP3b. The high performance permeation chromatography (HPGPC) analysis showed that the average molecular weight (Mw) of LBP3b was 4.92kDa. Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that the LBP3b was comprised of mannose, rhamnose, glucose, galactose and xylose with a molar ratio of 5.52:5.11:28.06:1.00:1.70. The preliminary structure features of LBP3b were investigated by UV, FT-IR, NMR and SEM. In vitro cell experiments showed that LBP3b had significantly inhibited the absorption of glucose in a dose-dependent manner. The study showed that LBP3b had potential use as an anti-diabetic agent.

Wheat peptides reduce oxidative stress and inhibit NO production through modulating µ-opioid receptor in a rat NSAID-induced stomach damage model.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) induce tissue damage and oxidative stress in animal models of stomach damage. In the present study, the protective effects of wheat peptides were evaluated in a NSAID-induced stomach damage model in rats. Different doses of wheat peptides or distilled water were administered daily by gavage for 30 days before the rat stomach damage model was established by administration of NSAIDs (aspirin and indomethacin) into the digestive tract twice. The treatment of wheat peptides decreased the NSAID-induced gastric epithelial cell degeneration and oxidative stress and NO levels in the rats. Wheat peptides significantly increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and decreased iNOS activity in stomach. The mRNA expression level of µ-opioid receptor was significantly decreased in wheat peptides-treated rats than that in in the control rats. The results suggest that NSAID drugs induced stomach damage in rats, wchih can be prevented by wheat peptides. The mechanisms for the protective effects were most likely through reducing NSAID-induced oxidative stress.

Vitamin D3 and beta-carotene deficiency is associated with risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma - results of a case-control study in China.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate roles of vitamin D3 (VD3) and beta-carotene (BC) in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a high-risk area, Huai'an District, Huai'an City, China. METHODS: 100 new ESCC diagnosed cases from 2007 to 2008 and 200 residency- age-, and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. Data were collected from questionnaires, including a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to calculate the BC intake, and reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was used to measure the serum concentrations of BC and VD3. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated in conditional logistic regression models. RESULTS: The average dietary intake of BC was 3322.9 µg (2032.4- 5734.3) in the case group and 3626.8 µg (1961.9-5827.9) in control group per capita per day with no significant difference by Wilcoxon test (p>0.05). However, the levels of VD3 and BC in the case group were significantly lower than in the control group (p<0.05). The OR values of the highest quartile and the lowest quartile of VD3 and BC in serum samples were both 0.13. CONCLUSION: Our results add to the evidence that high circulating levels of VD3 and BC are associated with a reduced risk of ESCC in this Chinese population.

Stimulation of the proliferation of human normal esophageal epithelial cells by fumonisin B1 and its mechanism.

Previous epidemiological studies have demonstrated a correlation between fumonisin B1 (FB1) and human esophageal cancer in China, Iran and South Africa. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of FB1 on the proliferation, cell-cycle and apoptosis of normal human esophageal epithelial cells (HEECs) and to explore the molecular mechanisms of these effects. The proliferation of HEECs treated with FB1 was assessed using a colorimetric assay, while analyses of the cell cycle and apoptosis were performed using flow cytometry and the measurement of the protein expressions of genes associated with the cell cycle was conducted using western blotting. The results showed that FB1 stimulated the proliferation of HEECs, decreased the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase and reduced apoptosis. The western blotting results showed that FB1 significantly increased the protein expression of cyclin D1 and significantly decreased the protein expression of cyclin E, p21 and p27. The results indicated that FB1 stimulated the proliferation of HEECs by affecting the cell cycle and apoptosis. This mechanism was associated with changes in cyclin D1, cyclin E, p21 and p27 expression.

Effect of fumonisin B1 on the cell cycle of normal human liver cells.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a well-known liver and kidney carcinogen in rodents and humans. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of FB1 on the proliferation and cell cycle of the normal human liver cell line HL-7702 and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of action. The cells were treated with FB1 (0.0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 and 100.0 µmol/l) for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Cell proliferation was assessed by colorimetric assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry. The mRNA and protein expression of cyclin E and P21 were determined by RT­PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. FB1 was initially demonstrated to significantly inhibit the proliferation of HL-7702 cells; however, cell proliferation increased with increasing treatment time. The percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase was significantly increased by FB1; however, significantly decreased with an increasing concentration of FB1. The mRNA expression of cyclin E was upregulated and then gradually downregulated with increasing treatment time. The mRNA expression of P21 was significantly increased following treatment with 0.1 µmol/l FB1, and decreased following treatment with 10.0 and 100.0 µmol/l FB1 for different treatment durations. Western blot analysis showed that FB1 significantly increased the protein expression of cyclin E and significantly decreased the protein expression of P21 at various concentrations and treatment durations. Our results demonstrated that FB1 affects the cell cycle of normal human liver cells and that the underlying mechanism of action is associated with alterations in the expression levels of cyclin E and P21 induced by FB1.

Serum folate, MTHFR C677T polymorphism and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma risk.

This study examined associations between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and serum folate concentrations with the risk of esophageal precancerous lesions (EPL) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The highest quartile of serum folate concentration significantly decreased the risk of ESCC compared with the lowest quartile (OR=0.11; 95% Cl, 0.04-0.33; P<0.05). MTHFR 677 C>T polymorphism was associated with the risk of ESCC by using chi-square tests (P<0.05). For the CT genotype, the risk of ESCC significantly increased in study participants with low serm folate concentrations (≤26.92 µg/L) compared with participants with high serum folate concentrations (>26.92 µg/L) by using multinomial logistic regression models. The MTHFR genotype may further modify associations between serum folate concentrations and the risk of ESCC, but it was not significantly associated with the risk of EPL.

Inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis by the combination of ß-carotene and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in human esophageal cancer EC9706 cells.

Esophageal cancer is a common malignant tumor occurring in human esophageal epithelial tissue. The primary purpose of this paper was to define the effects of ß-carotene and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, alone and in combination, on cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of human esophageal cancer EC9706 cells. Treatment with different concentrations of ß-carotene and/or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. MTT assay showed that ß-carotene and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 significantly inhibited proliferation of EC9706 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Further studies also demonstrated that ß-carotene alone or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 alone caused a marked increase on the induction of apoptosis in EC9706 cells. The percentage of G0/G1-phase cells significantly increased on addition of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 alone, but there were no significant changes with ß-carotene alone. These two agents in combination synergistically inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis. Therefore, our results indicate that ß-carotene and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in combination may provide a novel strategy for preventing and treating esophageal cancer.

Luteolin induced-growth inhibition and apoptosis of human esophageal squamous carcinoma cell line Eca109 cells in vitro.

Luteolin is a plant flavonoid which exhibits anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. However, the antiproliferative potential of luteolin is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of luteolin on cell cycling and apoptosis in human esophageal squamous carcinoma cell line Eca109 cells. MTT assays showed that luteolin had obvious cytotoxicity on Eca109 with an IC50 of 70.7±1.72 µM at 24 h. Luteolin arrested cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase and prevented entry into S phase in a dose- and time-dependent manner. as assessed by FCM. Luteolin induced apoptosis of Eca109 cells was demonstrated by AO/EB staining assay and annexin V-FITC/PI staining. Moreover, luteolin downregulated the expression of cyclin D1, survivin and c-myc, and it also upregulated the expression of p53, in line with the fact that luteolin was able to inhibit Eca109 cell proliferation.

[The combined toxity of two kinds of mycotoxin in Sprague-Dawley rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the combined toxic effects of fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) and aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) on Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. METHOD: All 60 SD male rats were divided into five groups randomly according to the body weight (12 every group). They were given FB(1) (100 microg/kg bw), AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw), FB(1) plus AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw respectively), FB(1) plus AFB(1) (50 microg/kg bw respectively) and distilled water respectively by gavage. The experiment persisted 30 days to observe the changes of growth and development, the food used rate, the haematological indexes, the blood biochemical indexes and the viscera histopathology. RESULTS: At the end of the experiment, the mean body weight increased in the FB(1) plus AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw respectively) group was (164.9 +/- 19.8) g and the mean body weight increased in the control group was (203.7 +/- 17.1) g. And the food used rate in the FB(1) plus AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw respectively) group was (25.3 +/- 1.6)% and the food used rate in the control group was (28.1 +/- 1.2)%. There were significant differences in the mean body weight increased and the food used rate between the FB(1) plus AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw respectively) group and the control group (P < 0.05). While there were no significant differences of body weights and food used rates between controls and AFB(1), FB(1), and low dose AFB(1) + FB(1) groups (P > 0.05). The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutaminetransferase (gamma-GT) in serum of all of the treatment groups were increased, but the increasing extent was severe in the AFB(1) + FB(1) high dose group. At the same time the liver weight and kidney weight were decreased and the liver occurred with the remarkable histopathological lesions in the AFB(1) + FB(1) high dose group. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in serum was decreased and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum was elevated in treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: The combined toxic effects of AFB(1) and FB(1) existed in male SD rats. Our results provided the basic data for studying the combined effects on human exposed to these two mycotoxin at the same time.