Hepato-and cardiotoxicity of xanthoascin, a new xanthocillin analogue produced by Aspergillus candidus. II. A preliminary electron microscopic observation of the heart and lung with intranuclear myelin-like figures.
Xanthoascin (1-4(hydroxyphenyl)-4-(2,2-dimethyl-6-chromanyl)-2,3-diisocyano-1,3-butadiene), a toxic metabolite recently isolated from rice grains infested with Aspergillus candidus L., caused acute hepatic injury with jaundice in mice. Following this, if the animals survived, degeneration of the myocardium developed over several weeks. Myocardial cells of dilated ventricular walls were diffusely vacuolated in routine H.E. sections. Electron microscopically, the vacuoles were filled with osmiophilic, concentric lamellar figures of varied size. Judging from observations in the early stages, this structure seems to develop in relation to mitochondrial membrane. The nuclei of the interstitial cells of the myocardium and pulmonary alveoli contained similar myelin-like figures. Recently it has been found that most strains of A. candidus produce terphenyllin, another toxic compound, and a smaller number of them produces, in addition to terphenyllin, xanthoascin. This may indicate that xanthoascin can be a candidate as a causative agent of primary myocardial diseases of men and contamination of foods with A. candidus and xanthoascin should be eargently examined.
D000818:Animals; D001230:Aspergillus; D002070:Butadienes / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009206:Myocardium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology
D002070:Butadienes; D009183:Mycotoxins; D009570:Nitriles; C014250:xanthoascin