Background: Fumonisins, a family of mycotoxins, are mainly found in wheat, corn and their products. Previous studies have shown that fumonisin B1 (FB1), the most abundant and toxic of known fumonisins, has been associated with many animal and human diseases including cancer. In the present study, the effects of FB1 were examined on the production of inflammatory cytokines in intestine and stomach cell lines.

Methods: This study was performed in the Cancer Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2010. The cell lines of colon adenocarcinoma (SW742) and gastric epithelium (AGS) were purchased from the Pasteur Institute of Iran. The cells were pretreated with different concentrations of FB1 (0 to 100 µM) for 3 days. The cells were later stimulated by lipopolysaccharides. Twenty-four hours after cell induction, the cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interlukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interlukin-8 (IL-8) were measured by ELISA.

Results: Treatment with FB1 induced a dose-dependent decrease in IL-8 production (P<0.05). This decrease was seen in both SW742 and AGS cell lines. Moreover, FB1 induced a dose-dependent increase in the production of TNF-α and IL-1β in both cell lines (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that FB1 could increase the inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α and IL-1β in gastric and intestinal celllines. These effects might result in the development of inflammatory responses and subsequent mucosal atrophy in in-vivo conditions.