Immunosuppressive effect of a trichothecene mycotoxin, Fusarenon-X in mice

The in vitro treatment with Fusarenon-X, a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium nivale Fn 2B, depressed the mitogenic responses of mouse lymphocytes to the T-cell mitogens, phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A), but to a lesser extent to B-cell mitogen, a bacterial lypopolysaccharide (LPS). The in vitro treatment of mice with Fusarenon-X also decreased the responsiveness of splenic lymphocytes to the T-cell mitogen, Con A. Administration of Fusarenon-X to BALB/c mice before immunization significantly reduced anti-DNP IgE and IgG1 responses, while the treatment of mice after immunization was less effective. The number of spleen cells of the treated mice was increased with a reduction of T lymphocytes and an increase of granulocytic elements. In vitro antibody responses of spleen cells from Fusarenon-X treated mice by pokeweed mitogen (PWM) or LPS were also suppressed. Reconstruction experiments using sIg positive and negative spleen cells from normal and Fusarenon-X treated mice showed that this inhibitory effect resided in the sIg negative cell population.