Cytotoxicity of T-2 toxin and its metabolites determined with the neutral red cell viability assay

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Cell Biology
• Mycotoxin Research

Background:

• T-2 mycotoxin is a potent trichothecene mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species.
• Mycotoxins pose significant risks to human and animal health through contaminated food and feed.
• Understanding the cytotoxic effects of T-2 mycotoxin and its metabolites is crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitate the cytotoxic potency of T-2 mycotoxin and its metabolites using the neutral red assay.
• To identify human cell lines with varying sensitivity to T-2 mycotoxin.
• To establish the relative potency of T-2 mycotoxin compared to its metabolites HT-2, T-2 triol, and T-2 tetraol.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the neutral red (NR) cell viability assay.
• Tested various human cell types, including the SK-Mel/27 melanoma cell line and the HepG2 hepatoma cell line.
• Determined midpoint cytotoxicity values (EC50) for T-2 mycotoxin.

Main Results:

• The human melanoma SK-Mel/27 cell line exhibited the highest sensitivity to T-2 mycotoxin, with a midpoint cytotoxicity value of 2.8 ng/ml.
• In the human hepatoma HepG2 cell line, the potency sequence was determined as T-2 > HT-2 > T-2 triol > T-2 tetraol.
• This indicates T-2 mycotoxin is significantly more potent than its primary metabolites.

Conclusions:

• The neutral red assay is effective for assessing T-2 mycotoxin cytotoxicity across different human cell lines.
• Human melanoma cells (SK-Mel/27) are particularly sensitive to T-2 mycotoxin.
• T-2 mycotoxin demonstrates greater cytotoxicity than its metabolites HT-2, T-2 triol, and T-2 tetraol, highlighting its primary toxicological significance.