Evaluation of cellular and molecular impact of zearalenone and Escherichia coli co- exposure on IPEC-1 cells using microarray technology

Background The gastrointestinal tract is the primary site of toxin interaction, an interface between the organism and its surroundings. In this study, we assessed the alteration of intestinal mRNA profile in the case of co-occurrence of zearalenone (ZEA), a secondary Fusarium metabolite, and Escherichia coli (E. coli), on the intestinal porcine epithelial cells IPEC-1. We chose this model since the pig is a species which is susceptible to pathogen and mycotoxin co-exposure.