Effects of selected secondary metabolites of Fusarium moniliforme on unscheduled synthesis of DNA by rat primary hepatocytes

Abstract

The Fusarium moniliforme mycotoxins—fusarin C 1 fumonisin B 1, moniliformin and bikaverin—were evaluated for genotoxicity by their ability to induce unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in primary rat hepatocytes. Isolated hepatocytes were exposed to several concentrations of moniliformin (5.0–500 μ m), bikaverin (1.0–500 μ m), fumonisin B 1 (0.5–250 μ m), or fusarin C (1.0–100 μ m). Aflatoxin B 1, a known inducer of UDS, was included as a positive control. UDS was determined by autoradiography of cells after their exposure to [ 3H]thymidine. The highest doses of fusarin C and bikaverin caused cell death, but no cytotoxicity was observed in cells exposed to moniliformin or fumonisin B 1. Fumonisin B 1, moniliformin and bikaverin were not genotoxic in the UDS assay. The results of the UDS assay with fusarin C were inconclusive since a marginal effect on UDS was obtained.