Abstract
The effects of T-2 toxin on hepatocytes were investigated in vitro. Cultured mouse hepatocytes were treated with several doses of T-2 toxin (1, 10, and 100μg/ml) for 6 and 24 hr. There was no significant change in the release of GPT and LDH from cultured hepatocytes into medium. However, LPO contents in hepatocytes increased dose-dependently at 6 and 24 hr after T-2 toxin administration. A decrease in cell density in hepatocyte cultures due to atrophy and necrosis was conspicuous at 24 hrexposure to 100μg/ml of T-2 toxin. Electron microscopically, an increase of autosegrisomes was observed in hepatocytes at 24 hr-exposure to 1μg/ml of T-2 toxin. Apart from their severity, the nature of ultrastructural changes was common to hepatocytes exposed to 10 and 100μg/ml of T-2 toxin. Namely, degeneration of rER, deformation of mitochondria, and formation of autosegrisomes developed at 6hr and became more prominent at 24hr.
