title: Cytotoxicity and absence of mutagenic activity of vomitoxin (4-deoxynivalenol) in a hepatocyte-mediated mutation assay with V79 Chinese hamster lung cells.
abstract: Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of vomitoxin (4-deoxynivalenol), a tricothecene mycotoxin produced on cereal grains by fungi of the genus Fusarium, were determined in vitro with Chinese hamster V79 cells. Cytotoxicity was shown by a reduction in colony size at 1 microgram/ml (ppm); by reduction in the number and size of colonies at 2-3 micrograms/ml or higher; and by lethality to 80-90% of the cells at 10 micrograms/ml. Up to 3 micrograms/ml, vomitoxin was non-mutagenic to V79 cells at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT) locus, with or without hepatocyte-mediated activation; and did not significantly increase the number of 6-thioguanine-resistant mutants at marginally cytotoxic levels of 6 and 8 micrograms/ml (data not shown). These findings, together with previous studies, suggest that vomitoxin, like other 12,13-epoxytricothecenes, may become cytotoxic through inhibition of protein and/or DNA synthesis, and is likely to be non-carcinogenic.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001711:Biotransformation; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000502:physiology; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000633:toxicity*; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D014255:Trichothecenes; D007041:Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase; C007262:deoxynivalenol