The Effects of Aflatoxin B₁ on Liver Cholestasis and Its Nutritional Regulation in Ducks

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) on cholestasis in duck liver and its nutritional regulation. Three hundred sixty 1-day-old ducks were randomly divided into six groups and fed for 4 weeks. The control group was fed a basic diet, while the experimental group diet contained 90 μg/kg of AFB₁. Cholestyramine, atorvastatin calcium, taurine, and emodin were added to the diets of four experimental groups. The results show that in the AFB₁ group, the growth properties, total bile acid (TBA) serum levels and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione (GSH) liver levels decreased, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) and TBA liver levels increased (p < 0.05). Moreover, AFB₁ caused cholestasis. Cholestyramine, atorvastatin calcium, taurine, and emodin could reduce the TBA serum and liver levels (p < 0.05), alleviating the symptoms of cholestasis. The qPCR results show that AFB₁ upregulated cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 (CYP7A1) and cytochrome P450 family 8 subfamily B member 1 (CYP8B1) gene expression and downregulated ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 11 (BSEP) gene expression in the liver, and taurine and emodin downregulated CYP7A1 and CYP8B1 gene expression (p < 0.05). In summary, AFB₁ negatively affects health and alters the expression of genes related to liver bile acid metabolism, leading to cholestasis. Cholestyramine, atorvastatin calcium, taurine, and emodin can alleviate AFB₁-induced cholestasis.