Experimentally induced sub-chronic toxicity of T-2 toxin in male Wistar rats

Present investigation was diagnosed to study sub-chronic toxicity of T-2 toxin at very low dietary level. Wistar rats were randomly allotted to four treatment groups of 10 rats each receiving T-2 toxin continuously for 90 days in feed at 0.00 ppm, 0.25 ppm, 0.50 ppm and 0.75 ppm in groups I, II, III and IV, respectively. Clinical signs included mild anorexia and rough hair coat which increased with time in groups III and IV starting from 56^th and 48^th day, respectively. The mean body weights were lower in treatment groups in a dose dependent manner. Hematologically, mild to moderate leukopaenia due to lymphocytopenia and thrombocytopenia were observed. Biochemically, hypoproteinemia due to reduction in levels of albumin and globulin and significant increased levels of ALT, AST and creatinine were found in T-2 treated rats in a dose dependent manner. The alkaline phosphatase activity was reduced significantly in groups III and IV. At necropsy, liver and kidneys were comparatively paler and slightly enlarged in group IV. The relative weights of liver, kidneys and brain were increased while weights of testes, thymus and spleen were reduced particularly in group IV. Histopathologically, degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes with vascular engorgement in liver, tubular epithelial degeneration with presence of proteinacious casts in kidneys, reduced spermatogenesis and atrophic seminiferous tubules in testes, depletion of lymphocytes in spleen and thymus were observed. Purkinje cell degeneration in cerebellum and thinning of myocardial fibers were significant alterations observed in a dose dependent manner. The oxidative stress parameters such as LPO activity was significantly higher in group IV, while SOD and catalase activity were lower in liver and kidney. In testes, the values of oxidative parameters did not show significant difference among various groups.