Apoptosis in the developing mouse embryos from T-2 toxin-inoculated dams

N. Ishigami, J. Shinozuka, K. Katayama, K. Uetsuka, H. Nakayama and K. Doi

Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Offprint requests to: Dr. N. Ishigami, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. Fax: +81-3-5800-6919

Summary. T-2 toxin (3mg/kg b.w.) was orally inoculated to pregnant mice at 11 days of gestation to examine the effect of T-2 toxin on the developing embryos. At 24 hours after T-2 toxin-inoculation, moderate pyknosis or karyorrhexis was generally observed in some layers of the central nervous system, caudal sclerotomic segment, caudal region of the tongue to pharyngeal- to laryngeal-mesenchyma, trachea and facial mesenchyma. These pyknotic or karyorrhectic nuclei were strongly stained by the modified TUNEL method widely used for the in situ detection of apoptotic nuclei and also showed ultrastructural changes characteristic for apoptosis. This is the first report of mycotoxin-induced apoptosis in embryos. Histol. Histopathol. 14, 729-733 (1999)

Key words: Apoptosis, Central nervous system, Mouse embryo, Sclerotome, T-2 toxin

DOI: 10.14670/HH-14.729