Inhibitory effect of Fusarium T2-toxin on lymphoid DNA and protein synthesis.

The effect of T2-toxin on DNA and protein synthesis was investigated, both in vivo and in vitro. For mice which had been submitted to different treatment schedules (single dose, 3-, or 7-day treatment), the rate of DNA and protein biosynthesis was measured in thymus, bone marrow, liver, and spleen cells. T2-toxin inhibited DNA and protein synthesis, irrespectively of treatment schedule, in bone marrow, spleen, and thymus. In liver, after 3-day treatment, DNA and protein synthesis were both enhanced as compared to control values, whereas after 7-day treatment, only protein synthesis values remained greater than those of controls, and DNA synthesis was inhibited. After 7-day treatment, ornithine decarboxylase activity was inhibited in the thymus. In vitro, T2-toxin inhibited DNA and protein synthesis of mice spleen cells stimulated with phytohemagglutinin and rat hepatoma cells.