Effect of T-2 toxin on brain biogenic monoamines in rats and chickens

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of T-2 toxin on brain biogenic monoamines and their metabolites. Male rats (180 g) and cockerels (28 day, 300 g) were orally dosed with T-2 toxin at 2.5 mg kg-1 body weight. In the first experiment, whole brains were collected 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h postdosing and analyzed for monoamines by high performance liquid chromatography with electro-chemical detection. T-2 toxin did not influence whole brain concentrations of monoamines in either species. In the second experiment, brains were collected 24 h postdosing, dissected into five brain regions, and analyzed for monoamines. T-2 toxin treatment resulted in increased serotonin and 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid in all brain regions of the rat. However, this was not seen in poultry where T-2 toxin treatment resulted in an increase in 5-hydroxy-3-indoleacetic acid, no alteration in serotonin concentration and a decrease in regional norepinephrine and dopamine concentrations. These results suggest that T-2 toxin influences brain biogenic amine metabolism and that there is an intraspecies difference in the central effects of this mycotoxin.