EFFECTS OF FEEDING T-2 TOXIN AND DEOXYNIVALENOL ON DNA AND GSH CONTENTS OF BRAIN AND SPLEEN OF RATS SUPPLEMENTED WITH VITAMIN-E AND VITAMIN-C AND SELENIUM COMBINATION

Some mycotoxins are known to produce membrane damage through increased lipid peroxidation, which leads to impaired tissue function. An investigation of the relative importance of vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium in rendering protection to the brain and spleen against T-2 toxin- and deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced damage was undertaken. Normal, vitamin E-, vitamin C- and selenium-supplemented, and vitamin E-, vitamin C- and selenium-deficient rats mere administered a single dose of T-2 toxin (3.6 mg/kg body weight) or DON (28 mg/kg body weight). Glutathione and DNA content were estimated in the cerebral cortex of rat brain and in spleen. Vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium supplementation led to an increase in GSH and DNA content in brain and spleen tissues, while vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium deficiency led to a decrease in GSH and DNA content. Administration of T-2 toxin and DON to normal rats decreases slightly, but not significantly, GSH and DNA content. The results indicate that in the brain and spleen of rats, vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium seem to act as an antioxidant system that protects against mycotoxin-induced damage.