Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a toxic chemical produced by molds. The molds that produce fumonisin are common in corn. Consumption of contaminated corn by farm animals has been shown to be the cause of animal disease. The proximate cause (key event) in the induction of diseases in animals is inhibition of the enzyme ceramide synthase.  Inhibition of de novo ceramide biosynthesis in animals results in a global disruption of sphingolpid metabolism. Fumonisin has been hypothesized to be an environmental risk factor for diseases in humans in countries where corn is a dietary staple and infection with the mold, Fusarium verticillioides, is likely. In order to determine if fumonisin contributes to disease in humans, methods were developed to measure changes in the urine and blood levels of chemicals that are indicators of changes indicative of pre-disease states in animal studies. The human studies have focused on populations in Guatemala where corn is a dietary staple. Intake of fumonisin in these populations can be very high. Corn, urine and blood were sampled from over 1500 women and the results show that fumonisin intake and changes in a unique class of fats (sphingoid base 1-phosphates) in the blood are correlated in a manner that mimics the effects of fumonisin in laboratory animals. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that ingested fumonisin inhibits the same enzyme, ceramide synthase, in humans as it does in farm and laboratory animals consuming diets high in fumonisin. These findings are the basis for development of biomarker-based studies in humans designed to identify possible human diseases where fumonisin could be a contributing factor and will provide an incentive to reduce fumonisin exposure in developing countries where corn is a dietary staple. These studies were supported by USDA-ARS and Award Number RC4HD067971-01 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development.

Fumonisin exposure in women linked to inhibition of an enzyme that is a key event in farm and laboratory animal diseases

251st National Meeting (2016)

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