Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress in Human Intestinal Epithelial Caco-2 Cells Caused by Marine Phycotoxin Azaspiracid-2.

When humans consume seafood contaminated by lipophilic polyether phycotoxins, such as azaspiracids (AZAs), the toxins are mainly leached and absorbed in the small intestine, potentially causing intestinal damage. In this study, human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells were used to investigate the adverse effects of azaspiracid-2 (AZA-2) on human intestinal epithelial cells. Cell viability, apoptosis, oxidative damage and mitochondrial ultrastructure were investigated, and ribonucleic acid sequence (RNA-seq) analysis was applied to explore the potential mechanisms of AZA-2 toxicity to Caco-2 cells. Results showed that AZA-2 significantly reduced the proliferation of Caco-2 cells in a concentration-dependent response, and the 48 h EC