Raw test data-Synergistic Neurotoxicity Induced by Co-exposure to Heat Stress and Deoxynivalenol Contributes to Emotional Behavioral Deficits in Mice

This dataset contains the raw experimental data and analytical results generated from a study investigating the neurotoxic effects of combined heat stress and deoxynivalenol (DON) exposure on male ICR mice. Global climate change has intensified heat stress in animal production, which can cause emotional and cognitive dysfunction via activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and hippocampal damage. Concurrently, hot and humid environments increase the risk of DON contamination in feed, and these two stressors often co-occur under practical farming conditions. However, their combined effects on the nervous system remain unclear. In this study, mice were subjected to single or combined exposure to heat stress (42 °C) and DON (2 mg/kg bw/day). Comprehensive datasets include behavioral test data (open field test and elevated zero maze), histopathological examination results (HE and Nissl staining), and molecular assay data (ELISA, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting) targeting key components of the HPA axis (CRH, ACTH, CORT), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), neurotransmitters (5-HT, DA, E, NE), as well as key proteins in the ERK/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway and synaptic plasticity-related proteins (PSD95, SYN1). This data provides novel insights into the mechanisms by which heat stress and DON synergistically exacerbate emotional behavioral impairments through overactivating the HPA axis, disrupting neurotransmitter homeostasis, and inhibiting hippocampal neuroprotective pathways, serving as a valuable resource for understanding the neurotoxic effects of combined environmental stressors in animal production and public health.