Bisphenol A exacerbates selenium deficiency-induced pyroptosis via the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway in chicken trachea

Selenium deficiency can lead to multiple tissue and organ damage in the body and could coexist with chronic toxic exposures. Contamination from Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure can induce the occurrence of various injuries including pyroptosis. However, it is not clear whether selenium deficiency and BPA exposure affect tracheal tissue pyroptosis in chickens. To investigate whether selenium deficiency and BPA exposure induce chicken tracheal tissue pyroptosis via the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway and the effect of their combined exposure on tissue injury, we developed a model of relevant chicken tracheal injury. Sixty broilers were divided into four groups: the control group (C group), selenium-deficient group (SeD group), BPA-exposed group (BPA group) and combined exposure group (SeD + BPA group). The study examined the expression indicators of markers of pyroptosis (NLRP3&GSDMD), NF-κB pathway-related inflammatory factors (NF-κB, iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2), pyroptosis-related factors (ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18), and some heat shock proteins and interleukins (HSP60, HSP90, IL-6, IL-17) in the samples. The results showed that the expression of the above indicators was significantly upregulated in the different treatment groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the expression levels of the above related indicators were more significantly up-regulated in the combined selenium-deficient and BPA-exposed group compared to the group in which they were individually exposed. It was concluded that selenium deficiency and BPA exposure induced tracheal tissue pyroptosis in chickens through NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway, and BPA exposure exacerbated selenium deficiency-induced tracheal pyroptosis. The present study provides new ideas into studies related to the co-exposure of organismal micronutrient deficiency and chronic toxicants.