Relationship of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with chemically induced immunomodulation. I. Stress-like response after exposure to T-2 toxin.

T-2 toxin (T-2), a trichothecene mycotoxin, produced by several members of the genus Fusarium is a cytotoxic feed contaminant and has been shown to by immunomodulatory. It is suspected that T-2 associated immunomodulation is mediated partly through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. T-2, prepared in 4% ethanol/corn oil, was administered orally to male CD-1 mice. Endotoxemia was evident 24 h after a single, oral exposure to T-2. Blood levels of corticosterone, indicative of the stress-response, increased 24 h after T-2 exposure. Hypothalamic norepinephrine and serum corticosterone levels increased in a dose-related manner after 2 weeks of T-2 exposure. Endotoxin, detected in the serum of animals exposed to 2.5 mg/kg T-2 for 1 week, was not associated with bacteremia. Neither endotoxin nor bacteremia were detectable after 2 or 4 weeks of T-2 exposure. Exposure to 2.5 mg/kg T-2 also affected several organs. The forestomach was ulcerated, with lymphocytic infiltration, epithelial proliferation, and hyperkeratinization. Increased spleen weight was associated with a proliferative red pulp. No histological changes were observed in the enlarged liver. Gastritis has been associated with increased corticosteroid production; cortical depletion and reduced mass of the thymus are phenomena attributable to increased corticosteroid levels. An increased corticosteroid level has been associated with thymic involution leading potentially to decreased T-dependent antibody response, a known effect of T-2.