T-2 Toxin-Induced Thymic Apoptosis Appears to Be Independent of Endogenouse TNF-α and Glucocorticoid in Vivo in Mice

Abstract

We investigated whether endogenous glucocorticoid and/or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are involved in T-2 toxin (T-2)-induced apoptosis by using adrenalectomized mice and anti-TNF-α antibody-injected mice. The magnitude of DNA fragmentation found in T-2-treated-adrenalectomized mice was similar to sham-operated T-2-injected group. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that thymocytes from mice treated with T-2 alone and those from mice treated with T-2 together with anti-TNF-α antibody exhibited a similar pattern of DNA fragmentation. LPS-induced DNA fragmentation was markedly inhibited by the anti-TNF-α antibody. Taken together, T-2-induced thymic apoptosis appears to be independent of endogenous TNF-α and glucocorticoid in vivo in mice.