title: Therapeutic effect of dexamethasone in T-2 toxicosis.
abstract: T-2 Toxin is a mycotoxin that induces toxemia characterized by numerous hematological and biochemical changes. We have previously shown that prostaglandin (PG) production in brain tissue is increased following T-2 toxin. The present study was designed in order to test the effect of dexamethasone on brain prostaglandins and survival of rats subjected to T-2 toxin. Furthermore, the effect of BW 755c, a dual inhibitor of the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonate metabolism, on the survival of rats exposed to T-2 toxin was also examined. The present study demonstrated that dexamethasone increases the survival of rats exposed to a highly lethal T-2 toxicosis. This effect was demonstrated at low as well as high doses and at different times after T-2 administration. Dexamethasone depressed PGE2 levels in the brain cortex 6 hr after T-2 toxin but abolished the reduction of PGE2 in brain cortex seen 24 hr after T-2. BW 755c had no consistent effect on the survival of rats in T-2 toxicosis. It is suggested that dexamethasone might be a useful therapeutic agent in T-2 toxicosis in animals and humans, but its mechanism of action remains obscure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shohami
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wisotsky
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kempski
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feuerstein
mesh_terms: D015772:4,5-Dihydro-1-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-amine; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects; D001834:Body Water / Q000032:analysis; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004487:Edema / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000633:toxicity*; D013605:T-2 Toxin / Q000633:toxicity*; D014115:Toxemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D011453:Prostaglandins; D011720:Pyrazoles; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D015772:4,5-Dihydro-1-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-amine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D013605:T-2 Toxin