Effects of macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxins on the murine immune system

Macrocyclic trichothecenes are a class of mycotoxins, some of which exhibit substantial antileukemic properties. These compounds vary in their toxicity by approximately 100 fold and are suspected immunotoxins. We studied 11 of these mycotoxins: roritoxin B, myrotoxin B, roridin A, verrucarin A, 16-hydroxyverrucarin A, verrucarin J, baccharinoid B12, roridin D, roridin E, baccharinoid B4 and baccharinoid B5 for their immunotoxicity in CD-1 mice. An equitoxic dose was prepared in 1% DMSO in saline and administered i.p. at half the LD₅₀. Organ weights, WBC, RBC, differentials of blood cell counts, blastogenesis of splenic lymphocytes in response to concanavalin A (Con A), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) were studied on day 4 after administration of each mycotoxin. Organ weights showed significant differences between the controls and the baccharinoids with a decrease in spleen weight in baccharinoid B12 and an increased liver weight in B4 and B5 treated animals. Administration of myrotoxin B, roridin A, verrucarin J and roridin E had total WBC counts statistically different from controls, while mice administered myrotoxin B showed a decrease in numbers of RBC. Differentials of WBC were unremarkable regardless of the mycotoxin. Roritoxin B and baccharinoid B5 increased Con A stimulation of splenic lymphocytes. Roridin A and baccharinoid B12 increased LPS stimulation of splenic lymphocytes while baccharinoid B5 decreased the LPS response. Stimulation of splenic lymphocytes with PHA was significantly increased by roridin A and baccharinoid B5. Stimulation of splenic lymphocytes with PWM was not altered significantly by any mycotoxin. The baccharinoids B12 and B4 showed significant increases of T cell proliferation in the MLR. Antibody production evaluated by the sheep red blood cell (SRBC) hemolytic-plaque assay indicated none of the mycotoxins gave a statistically different response. However, anti-SRBC antibodies evaluated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, were significantly decreased in mice administered roridin D and E and baccharinoid B5.