Use of Computed Tomography and Histopathologic Review for Lung Lesions Produced by the Interaction BetweenMycoplasma hyopneumoniaeand Fumonisin Mycotoxins in Pigs

Abstract

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae has a primary role in the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC). The objective of this study was to determine whether fumonisin mycotoxins influence the character and/or the severity of pathological processes induced in the lungs of pigs by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Four groups of pigs (n ¼ 7/group) were used, one fed 20 ppm fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ) from 16 days of age (group F), one only infected with M. hyopneumoniae on study day 30 (group M), and a group fed FB 1 and infected with M. hyopneumoniae (group MF), along with an untreated control group (group C). Computed tomography (CT) scans of infected pigs (M and MF) on study day 44 demonstrated lesions extending to the cranial and middle or in the cranial third of the caudal lobe of the lungs. The CT images obtained on study day 58 showed similar but milder lesions in 5 animals from group M, whereas lungs from 2 pigs in group MF appeared progressively worse. The evolution of average pulmonary density calculated from combined pixel frequency values, as measured by quantitative CT, was significantly influenced by the treatment and the age of the animals. The most characteristic histopathologic lesion in FB 1 -treated pigs was pulmonary edema, whereas the pathomorphological changes in Mycoplasma-infected pigs were consistent with catarrhal bronchointerstitial pneumonia. FB 1 aggravated the progression of infection, as demonstrated by severe illness requiring euthanasia observed in 1 pig and evidence of progressive pathology in 2 pigs (group MF) between study days 44 and 58.

Update onMycoplasma hyopneumoniaeinfections in pigs: Knowledge gaps for improved disease control

“…Finally, Pósa et al. () showed that pigs receiving feed contaminated with Fumonisin B elicited more severe lung lesions upon M. hyopneumoniae challenge infection compared to pigs fed with non‐contaminated feed. Pigs that received feed contaminated with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) did not develop more severe disease and lesions upon experimental M. hyopneumoniae infection than pigs fed with non‐contaminated feed (Michiels et al., ).…”

Feed exposure to FB1 can aggravate pneumonic damages in pigs provoked by P. multocid a

“…The most mycotoxins have strong immunosuppressive effects and often compromise animals and human health provoking development of secondary bacterial infections (Stoev et al, 2000) or deteriorating some existing diseases (Pósa et al, 2011(Pósa et al, , 2013. It is well known, that Fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ) is one of the most frequent contaminant of the feeds for pigs in all over the world (Dutton, 2009).…”

“…On the other hand, a heavy progression of Pasteurella multocida (Halloy et al, 2005) or porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus infections in swine (Ramos et al, 2010) were seen when the same animals were compromised by feed exposure to FB 1 . There are also some recent reports about aggravations of pathological infections in pigs, when fed on FB1 contaminated diet (Pósa et al, 2011(Pósa et al, , 2013. Nevertheless, the data available about the possible interaction between FB 1 and some frequent infectious pathogens in pigs can be evaluated as insuficient and scarce.…”

Regeneration of toxigenic Pasteurella multocida induced severe turbinate atrophy in pigs detected by computed tomography

“…The unceasing development of CT equipments have resulted in continuously improving image resolution that, together with increasing scanning speed, makes possible the examination of smaller and smaller details. Its ability to follow the course of the disease in the same animal without the need to sacrifice is of great importance as well as its potential application for studying other diseases in a longitudinal manner just as proved recently by early detection of pneumonia and monitoring the pathological events during its progression [20,21]. …”