The hemostatic derangement produced by T-2 toxin in guinea pigs

T-2 toxin produced significant coagulation abnormalities when administered parenterally to Hartley strain guinea pigs. The animals developed depressed activity of all coagulation factors except fibrinogen. Platelet aggregation in whole blood was depressed in response to ADP and collagen. The animals also exhibited an initial rise followed by a fall in hematocrit level, leukocytosis, and a decrease in platelet count. These changes were detectable within hours of toxin administration, reached a maximum at 24 hr, and returned to normal over the next 2 days. Pretreatment of animals with vitamin K1 had no effect on the activity of coagulation factors. The activated partial thromboplastin time of dilutions of plasma from animals given T-2 toxin with plasma from control animals revealed a pattern which pointed to a deficiency of coagulation factors as the principal cause of prolonged clotting times in treated animals. The presence of a weak circulating anticoagulant could not be ruled out. The addition of T-2 to plasma and blood of normal animals in a concentration of 1 microgram/ml had no effect on clotting times or platelet aggregation.