Testosterone Prevents T-2 Toxin-Induced Adrenal Cortical Necrosis in Mice
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of exogenous testosterone on the occurrence of T-2 toxin-induced necrosis of adrenal glands, mice were divided into 3 treatment groups. Group 1 mice received 12 subcutaneous injections of testosterone at 48- hr intervals prior to aerosol exposure to the toxin; group 2 mice received similar injections of only the vehicle, and group 3 mice received no treatment. Each treatment group contained castrated male, castrated female, and intact female mice. All mice alive 24-hr after a 10-min exposure to T-2 toxin aerosol were killed and the adrenal glands and thymuses examined histologically. Necrosis of the adrenal cortex was not present in any of the mice receiving preexposure treatment with exogenous testosterone. All mice receiving vehicle only or no treatment had T-2 toxin-induced necrosis of the inner adrenal cortex. Additionally, the presence of lymphocytolysis in the cortex of the thymus, confirmed that each mouse of all 3 treatment groups had evidence of systemic mycotoxicosis. The consistent severity of the thymic lesion in all mice suggests that the thymic lesion was unaffected by exogenous testosterone administration or the castration status of the mice. We propose that, in mice, T-2 toxin- induced adrenal necrosis is prevented by the presence of testosterone. Keywords: Phytotoxins, Trichothecenes, Mycotoxins.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 07, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA198050
Entities
People
- D. A. Creasia
- J. D. Thurman
- R. W. Trotter
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases