Guinea pigs were administrated with T-2 toxin at a rate of 1 and 0.6㎎/㎏ body weight per day for 21 days to study the immunological and pathological effects of T-2 togin in guinea pigs.
Blood was collected before T-2 treatment and on days 7, 14 and 21 of the trial for hematological and biological examinations and for the mitogen assay using lymphocytes.
Myeloid: erythroid ratios were examined from the fernur bone marrow samples taken a day before T-2 toxin treatment began, on day 12 and at death.
Guinea pigs received with l㎎/㎏ body weight of T-2 toxin daily showed leukopenic, lymphopenic and anemic signs on day 7 and 14. The mitogenic responses to the T-cell mitogen, Concanavalin A and B-cell mitogens, lipopolysaccharide were significantly depressed on day 7.
Histologically, marked cellular damages including karyorrhexis and depletion of lymphocytes were observed in the actively dividing cells of the gastrointestinal tract, lymph node, spleen and bone marrow of guinea pigs.
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