Effect of oral administration of T-2 toxin on glutathione shuttle enzymes, microsomal reductases and lipid peroxidation in rat liver.

Effects of T-2 toxin on liver lipid peroxidation, glutathione shuttle enzymes and microsomal reductases have been studied in rats at 8, 16 and 24 hr after feeding a single dose of toxin (2.0 mg/kg) and at 7, 14 and 21 days after feeding of toxin (0.75 mg/kg) daily. Feeding of a single dose of T-2 toxin caused significant increase in liver lipid peroxidation in rats at 8, 16 and 24 hr post treatment. The liver lipid peroxidation was also significantly increased at 14 and 21 days after feeding of 0.75 mg/kg of T-2 toxin daily to rats. The activities of liver GSH-shuttle enzymes, i.e. glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, were significantly higher in rats after both feeding schedules of T-2 toxin. NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity was significantly lower at 8, 16 and 24 hr in liver of rats fed a single dose of T-2 toxin, whereas NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase was significantly higher until 16 hr and then declined below normal at 24 hr post treatment. In rats fed multiple doses of T-2 toxin, both liver microsomal reductases were significantly reduced. These results suggest that T-2 toxin/or its metabolites in the liver may be involved in the generation of free radicals which cause the observed increase in lipid peroxidation.