Apoptotic cellular damage in mice after T‐2 toxin‐induced acute toxicosis

Abstract

By histopathologic, electron microscopic, and immunochemical observation, the mechanism of cellular death was investigated in thymus, spleen, and liver of mice given intraperitoneally sublethal doses of T-2 toxin, a trichothecene mycotoxin. In the thymus and spleen of mice given 5.0 mg/kg body weight of T-2 toxin and killed 12 hours later, a massive cellular destruction characterized by chromatin condensation was evident, and electron microscopy analysis revealed the presence of apoptotic bodies. In the liver of mice given 2.5 mg/kg of T-2 toxin and killed 2 hours later, the induction of apoptotic cellular lesions was observed by electron microscopy, and Kupffer cells phagocytosed the apoptotic bodies. Such lesions were not observed in the mice killed 12 hours after receiving the toxin. In situ nick translation analysis (Tunel method) revealed DNA fragmentation in thymus, spleen, and liver shortly after administration of T-2 toxin. As previously observed in vitro, these findings indicated that T-2 toxin is a potent inducer of apoptotic cell death in thymus, spleen, and liver in vivo; especially in liver, apoptosis is induced rapidly as compared with the other tissues observed, and Kupffer cells play an important role for clearance of apoptosis. Nat.

Toxicity of different Fusarium mycotoxins on growth performance, immune responses and efficacy of a mycotoxin degrading enzyme in pigs

“…This might be due to the potential of liver regeneration and rapid clearance of apoptotic cells in vivo [13]. Therefore, only blood vessel thickening and dilation were found in current liver sections.…”

Porcine hepatocyte apoptosis and reduction of albumin secretion induced by deoxynivalenol

“…T-2 toxin, which belongs to the same trichothecene mycotoxin class as DON, is known to induce apoptosis in thymus, spleen and liver in mice. Ihara et al (1997) reported that apoptosis was induced more rapidly by T-2 toxin in the liver than in other tissues observed in vivo, and was detectable in the liver at 2 h but not 12 h later. DON is less toxic than T-2 toxin, but the same process may occur in DON intoxication.…”

DIFFERENTIAL UPREGULATION OF TNF-α, IL-6, AND IL-8 PRODUCTION BY DEOXYNIVALENOL (VOMITOXIN) AND OTHER 8-Ketotrichothecenes IN a HUMAN MACROPHAGE MODEL

“…These in vitro results appear to be relevant to the whole animal model, since Zhou et al (2000) demonstrated that orally gavaging with DON (25 mg/ kg body weight) significantly induces apoptosis in B6C3F1 mice. In an analogous fashion, in vivo administration of T-2 toxin and other trichothecenes to rodents results in apoptosis in thymus, spleen, bone marrow, and liver (Shinozuka et al, 1997(Shinozuka et al, , 1998Islam et al, 1998;Ihara et al, 1997Ihara et al, , 1998Miura et al, 1998).…”