How a mold toxin hurts mouse livers and kidneys
Ochratoxin A induces hepatic and renal toxicity in mice through increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and multiple cell death mechanisms
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
OTA induced necroptosis—a regulated, inflammatory form of cell death—at high dose (8 mg/kg for 7 days).
Necroptosis is typically linked to infections or immune diseases, not food toxins. Its presence suggests OTA may drive inflammation beyond simple poisoning.
Practical Takeaways
Be mindful of foods prone to ochratoxin contamination (e.g., moldy grains, coffee, dried fruits) especially if consuming in large quantities.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
OTA induced necroptosis—a regulated, inflammatory form of cell death—at high dose (8 mg/kg for 7 days).
Necroptosis is typically linked to infections or immune diseases, not food toxins. Its presence suggests OTA may drive inflammation beyond simple poisoning.
Practical Takeaways
Be mindful of foods prone to ochratoxin contamination (e.g., moldy grains, coffee, dried fruits) especially if consuming in large quantities.
Publication
Journal
Archives of Toxicology
Year
2024
Authors
Youlim Son, Hyun Jung Lee, D. Ryu, Jae-Ryong Kim, Hwa-Young Kim
Related Content
Claims (6)
When mice are given ochratoxin A by mouth, it harms their liver and kidneys more the higher the dose, and the damage includes two types of cell death — one sudden and messy, the other controlled and programmed.
When mice are given a toxin called ochratoxin A by mouth for up to a week, the higher the dose, the more damage we see in their liver and kidneys from oxidative stress — kind of like rust building up in the organs.
A toxin called Ochratoxin A might mess up the energy factories in liver and kidney cells of mice, which could lead to those organs not working properly.
In mice, getting a certain amount of a toxin called Ochratoxin A every day for a week seems to trigger a specific kind of harmful cell death in the liver and kidneys.
When mice are exposed to a toxin called Ochratoxin A, the more they get and the longer they're exposed, the more their liver and kidney cells start to self-destruct in a controlled way — and this process seems to be a major reason the toxin harms these organs.