Experimental intoxication of guinea pigs with multiple doses of the mycotoxin, penitrem A.

Young female guinea pigs were fed various doses of penitrem A very 3 days for 3 weeks. Guinea pigs fed penitrem A had muscle tremors, seizures, and ataxia, and total weight gains were less than those of control guinea pigs. Histologic examination of multiple tissues and electron microscopic examination of liver and kidney revealed no differences between guinea pigs fed penitrem A and controls. Sera harvested at necropsy from guinea pigs fed penitrem A and control guinea pigs did not differ significantly in mean values of two liver enzymes (ornithine carbamoyltransferase and sorbitol dehydrogenase), complement, total protein, and differential proteins (albumin; alpha 1, alpha 2, beta, and gamma globulins). Results of this study indicate that penitrem A causes only central nervous system dysfunction; evidence of cytotoxicity for extraneural tissues was not found.