Cytostatic effects of T2 toxin on cultured human neoplastic cells of intestinal origin.

The cytostatic effects of T2 toxin, a sesquiterpenoid mycotoxin produced by some Fusarium strains, were studied on cultured human cells originating from rectal and colonic tumors (HRT18 and HT29). These cells were found to be sensitive to doses of the order of 0.1 to 1 ng/ml medium. Duration of treatment influences the reversibility of cytostatic effect. Brief treatments (1 to 6 hours) at a non toxic concentration of 10 ng/ml induce a cytostatic effect of 24 hours duration, which is reversible after this period. Longer treatments (24 hours or more) induce a cytostatic effect not reversed 3 days after removal of toxin. T2 toxin thus appears to have, in vitro, a powerful cytostatic effect.