Abstract
A single intraperitoneal injection of T-2 toxin (0.35, 1.75, or 3.5 mg/kg body wt) induced time- and dose-dependent thymic atrophy in young female BALB/c mice. T-2 toxin (1.75 mg/kg) induced maximal atrophy by day 3 with complete recovery by day 7. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the CD4+CD8+double positive thymocyte population decreased markedly. Histopathological examination of the thymus indicated that the pattern of cell death in the thymocytes had a characteristic apoptotic morphology with cell shrinkage and nuclear condensation. Thein vivoeffects of T-2 toxin included the induction of DNA fragmentation of ∼200 base pairs in ladder form and cell death in thymocytes. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis of PI-stained thymocytes from animals dosed with T-2 toxin revealed the formation of apoptotic cells. Of nine kinds of trichothecene mycotoxins tested, T-2 toxin appeared to be the most potent agent to induce apoptosis in the thymus. We sought insight into the mechanism of T-2 toxin-induced apoptosisin vivo.Administration of the protein synthesis inhibitor, CHX (15 mg/kg ip), 5 min after T-2 toxin (1.75 mg/kg ip) inhibited the induction of apoptosis in thymocytes, suggesting that thede novoprotein synthesis was necessary. By using adrenalectomized mice and anti-TNF-α antibody-injected mice, it was shown that neither endogenous glucocorticoid nor TNF-α appeared to be involved in the apoptotic process. Taken together, these findings suggest that T-2 toxin-induced thymic atrophy is associated with cell death through a mechanism of apoptosis.
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