AUTHOR=Gajęcka Magdalena , Brzuzan Paweł , Otrocka-Domagała Iwona , Zielonka Łukasz , Lisieska-Żołnierczyk Sylwia , Gajęcki Maciej T. TITLE=The Effect of 42-Day Exposure to a Low Deoxynivalenol Dose on the Immunohistochemical Expression of Intestinal ERs and the Activation of CYP1A1 and GSTP1 Genes in the Large Intestine of Pre-pubertal Gilts JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.644549 DOI=10.3389/fvets.2021.644549 ISSN=2297-1769 ABSTRACT=Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that contaminates various plant materials. Exposure to DON can disrupt hormonal homeostasis, decrease body weight gains and modulate the immune system. It can also cause diarrhea, vomiting, leukocytosis, hemorrhaging or even death. Prolonged exposure to low doses of DON can have serious health implications. This is the first in vivo study to show that per os administration of low DON doses probably contributes to specific dysfunctions in steroidogenesis processes by inducing the immunohistochemical expression of estrogen receptors beta (ERβ). Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether a NOAEL dose of DON (12 μg DON/kg BW) administered per os over a period of 42 days induces changes in the immunohistochemical expression of ERs in different intestinal segments and the transcriptional activation of CYP1A1 and GSTP1 genes in the large intestine of prepubertal gilts. This is the first report to demonstrate the expression of ERs, in particular ERβ, with the associated consequences. The expression of ERs was accompanied by considerable variations in the activation of CYP1A1 and GSTP1 genes, but it supported the maintenance of a stable consensus between the degree of mycotoxin exposure and the detoxifying effect.