Toxins 2012, 4, 1120-1138; doi:10.3390/toxins4111120 OPEN ACCESS toxins ISSN 2072-6651 www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins Review Advances in Deoxynivalenol Toxicity Mechanisms: The Brain as a Target Marion S. Bonnet 1, Julien Roux 2, Lourdes Mounien 1, Michel Dallaporta 1 and Jean-Denis Troadec 1,* 1 Laboratory of Physiology and Pathophysiology of Somatomotor and Autonomic Nervous System, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Escadrille Normandie-Niemen Avenue, Aix-Marseilles University, Marseilles 13397, France; E-Mails:
[email protected] (M.S.B.);
[email protected] (L.M.);
[email protected] (M.D.) 2 Biomeostasis, Contract Research Organization, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Escadrille Normandie-Niemen Avenue, Marseilles 13397, France; E-Mail:
[email protected] * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel: +33-491-288-948; Fax: +33-491-288-885. Received: 18 September 2012; in revised form: 18 October 2012 / Accepted: 19 October 2012 / Published: 1 November 2012 Abstract: Deoxynivalenol (DON), mainly produced by Fusarium fungi, and also commonly called vomitoxin, is a trichothecene mycotoxin. It is one of the most abundant trichothecenes which contaminate cereals consumed by farm animals and humans. The extent of cereal contamination is strongly associated with rainfall and moisture at the time of flowering and with grain storage conditions. DON consumption may result in intoxication, the severity of which is dose-dependent and may lead to different symptoms including anorexia, vomiting, reduced weight gain, neuroendocrine changes, immunological effects, diarrhea, leukocytosis, hemorrhage or circulatory shock. During the last two decades, many studies have described DON toxicity using diverse animal species as a model.