Comparative acute and combinative toxicity of aflatoxin B1 and T-2 toxin in animals and immortalized human cell lines.

Abstract

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and T-2 toxin (T-2) are important food-borne mycotoxins that have been implicated in human health and as potential biochemical weapons threats. In this study the acute and combinative toxicity of AFB1 and T-2 were tested in F-344 rats, mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), immortalized human hepatoma cells (HepG2) and human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Preliminary experiments were conducted in order to assess the acute toxicity and to obtain LD50, LC50 and IC50 values for individual toxins in each model, respectively. This was followed by testing combinations of AFB1 and T-2 to obtain LD50, LC50 and IC50 values for the combination in each model. All models demonstrated a significant dose response in the observed parameters to treatment. The potency of the mixture was gauged through the determination of the interaction index metric. The results of this study demonstrate that these two toxins interacted to produce alterations in the toxic responses generally classifiable as additive; however, a synergistic interaction was noted in the case of BEAS-2B. It can be gathered that this combination may pose a significant threat to public health and further research needs to be completed addressing alterations in metabolism and detoxification that may influence the toxic manifestations in combination.

• Authors: Christopher McKean, Lili Tang, Madhavi Billam, Meng Tang, Christopher W Theodorakis, Ronald J Kendall, Jia-Sheng Wang
• Journal: Journal of applied toxicology : JAT (J Appl Toxicol) 2006 Mar-Apr Vol. 26 Issue 2 Pg. 139-47 ISSN: 0260-437X [Print] England
• PMID: 16229058 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chemical References

• Aflatoxin B1
• T-2 Toxin

Topics

• Aflatoxin B1 (toxicity)
• Animals
• Cell Line
• Cell Survival (drug effects)
• Cyprinodontiformes
• Data Interpretation, Statistical
• Drug Synergism
• Humans
• Lethal Dose 50
• Male
• Rats
• Rats, Inbred F344
• T-2 Toxin (toxicity)