[Cultured human peripheral lymphocyte chromosome aberration induced by fusarium T-2 toxin]

In Linxian County, a high incidence area of esophageal cancer, staple food is heavily contaminated by fungi of Fusarium genus. In this paper, it is demonstrated for the first time that T-2 toxin produced by Fusarium can induce various structural aberrations in chromosomes of cultured human peripheral lymphocytes. Peripheral blood cells from 10 normal subjects were cultured for 48 hours. 8732 metaphase plates were analysed, including T-2 toxin-treated group and the control group. The average rate of chromosome aberration was 6.88% in the toxin group, while only 0.2% in the control group. There was a significant difference between these two groups (P less than 0.001). It was observed that T-2 toxin had both mitogenic and direct cytotoxic effects on human lymphocytes. At a lower dose of T-2 toxin (0.1-5 ng/ml for 24 hours), the number of mitosis was increased and chromosome aberration was induced but at a higher dose (10-100 ng/ml), T-2 toxin inhibited mitosis and killed the cells. These results suggest that T-2 toxin possess a carcinogenic potential.