Effects of deoxynivalenol on calcium homeostasis of concanavalin A—Stimulated splenic lymphocytes of chickens in vitro

In this study, the in vitro effects of the treatment of concanavalin A (Con A)—stimulated splenic lymphocytes with DON were examined. Splenic lymphocytes isolated from chickens were stimulated with 12.5 μg/mL Con A and exposed to deoxynivalenol (DON) (0–50 μg/mL) for 48 h. The intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), pH, calmodulin (CaM) mRNA levels, and Na+,K+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase activities were detected. With the DON exposure concentrations increased, the [Ca2+]i and CaM mRNA levels gradually increased in a dose-dependent manner, and all the evaluated conconcentrations affected ATPase activity to the same extent. There were significant differences (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) between the treatment groups and the control group. These results indicate that an imbalance in calcium homeostasis and intracellular acidification are components of DON cytotoxicity in chicken lymphocytes.