Synergistic effects of T-2 toxin and a low protein diet on erythropoiesis in mice.

Young male Swiss mice fed on a semipurified diet containing 8% protein and 10 ppm of T-2 toxin developed erythroid hypoplasia within 2 weeks. Red blood cell counts declined to 36% of control values by 6 weeks but had risen to 45% of control values by 8 weeks. Between 4 and 8 weeks, erythropoietic tissues regenerated and reticulocyte counts became greatly elevated. The toxin-free semipurified diet was adequate for normal growth and did not cause anemia in control mice fed either ad lib, or at a restricted rate. Anemia did not occur in mice fed the 10-ppm level to T-2 toxin in either a semipurified diet containing 16% protein, or in a balanced natural-ingredient mouse diet. These observations demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of T-2 toxin in erythropoiesis in mice was transient, and depended on the nutritional composition of the diet.