Although the acute toxic effects of
trichothecene mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON or
vomitoxin), a known cause of human
food poisoning, have been well characterized in several animal species, much less is known about closely related 8-ketotrichothecenes that similarly occur in cereal grains colonized by toxigenic fusaria. To address this, we compared potencies of DON,
15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON),
3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON),
fusarenon X (FX), and
nivalenol (NIV) in the mink
emesis model following intraperitoneal (ip) and
oral administration. All five congeners dose-dependently induced
emesis by both administration methods. With increasing doses, there were marked decreases in latency to
emesis with corresponding increases in
emesis duration and number of
emetic events. The effective doses resulting in
emetic events in 50% of the animals for ip exposure to DON,
15-ADON,
3-ADON, FX, and NIV were 80, 170, 180, 70, and 60 µg/kg bw, respectively, and for oral exposure, they were 30, 40, 290, 30, and 250 µg/kg bw, respectively. The
emetic potency of DON determined here was comparable to that reported in analogous studies conducted in pigs and dogs, suggesting that the mink is a suitable small animal model for investigating acute
trichothecene toxicity. The use of a mouse
pica model, based on the consumption of
kaolin, was also evaluated as a possible surrogate for studying
emesis but was found unsuitable. From a public health perspective, comparative
emetic potency data derived from small animal models such as the mink should be useful for establishing toxic equivalency factors for DON and other
trichothecenes.