Acute Inhalation Toxicity of T-2 Mycotoxin in Mice1

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Acute Inhalation Toxicity of T-2 Mycotoxin in Mice1

D. A. CREASIA, J. D. THURMAN, L. J. JONES, III, M. L. NEALLEY, C. G.

YORK, R. W. WANNEMACHER, Jr. and D. L. BUNNER

Divisions of Palhophysiology, Pathology, and Airborne Diseases,

United Slates Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases

Fort Detrick, Frederick, land 21701-5011

Oxford University Press

http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/8/2/230

Acute Inhalation Toxicity of T-2 Mycotoxin in Mice. Creasia, D. A.,

THURMAN, J. D., JONES, L. J., III, NEALLEY, M. L., YORK, C. G.,

WANNEMACHER, R. W., Jr., and BUNNER, D. L. (1987). Fundam. Appl.

Toxicol. 8, 230–235. Experiments were conducted to study the acute

inhalation toxicity of T-2 mycotoxin in both young adult and mature

mice. For a 10-min aerosol exposure, the 24-hr LC50 of T-2 mycotoxin

in young adult mice was 0.08 ± 0.04 mg T-2/liter air and that for

mature mice was 0.325 ± 0.1 mg T-2/liter air. Deaths among mice

exposed to the higher aerosol concentrations used in this study

(i.e., 1.5 to 2.4 mg T-2/liter air) occurred in less than 5 hr.

General clinical symptoms in these animals immediately postexposure

were tremors, lethargy, stilted gait, and, in some animals,

prostration. In experiments separate from the concentration-response

studies, total deposition of T-2 aerosol and selective retention of

T-2 in the respiratory tract and nasal turbinates were determined

analytically from 3H-labeled T-2. When total deposition of T-2 was

quantitated, there was excellent agreement between that amount of T-

2 deposited and that amount of T-2 predicted from calculations based

on aerosol size and animal minute volume. Based on the aerosol

deposition data, the LD50 values of T-2 mycotoxins was 0.24 mg/kg

for young adult mice and 0.94 mg/kg for mature mice. For mice,

inhalation of T-2 mycotoxin is at least 10 times more toxic than

systemic administration (LD50 4.5 mg/kg) and at least 20 times more

toxic than dermal administration (LD50 > 10 mg/kg).

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http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/54

Acute Inhalation Toxicity of T-2 Mycotoxin in the Rat and Guinea Pig

D. A. CREASIA*,1, J. D. THURMAN, R. W. WANNEMACHER, JR.* and D. L. BUNNER*

*Pathophysiology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of

Infectious Diseases Fort Detrick, Frederick, land 21701-5011

Pathology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious

Diseases Fort Detrick, Frederick, land 21701-5011

Received December 29, 1988; accepted July 5, 1989

Acute Inhalation Toxicity of T-2 Mycotoxin in the Rat and Guinea Pig.

Fundam. Appl. Toxicol 14, 54–59.

In this study, concentration-response parameters were determined for

rats and guinea pigs systematically exposed to an aerosol of T-2

toxin. The LC50 for a 10-min exposure to T-2 toxin aerosol was 0.02 mg

T-2/liter air for rats and 0.21 mg T-2/liter air for guinea pigs. Data

from total T-2 deposition in rats and guinea pigs exposed to their

respective LC50 aerosol concentration gave an LD50 of 0.05 mg T-2/kg

body weight for the rat and 0.4 mg T-2/kg body weight for the guinea

pig. These data show that inhaled T-2 toxin is approximately 20 times

more toxic to the rat (0.05 mg T-2/kg body wt inhaled vs 1.0 mg T-2/kg

body wt ip) and at least twice as toxic to the guinea pig (0.4 mg

T-2/kg body wt inhaled vs 1-2 mg T-2/kg body wt ip) than ip

administered T-2 toxin. Histopathologic examination of major organs in

both the rat and guinea pig after respiratory exposure to T-2 toxin

indicated that lesions were similar to those described after systemic

administration of the toxin. Gross and microscopic alterations of

respiratory tract tissue after T-2 aerosol exposure were minimal and

could not account for the increase in toxicity.