Cytotoxic and cytostatic effect of T2-toxin on epithelial cell lines derived from rat liver.

Cytotoxic and cytostatic effects of T2-toxin (Fusarium mycotoxin) on cells in culture derived from rat hepatomas and rat livers were investigated. Results showed that these effects appeared to be dependent on both drug concentration and duration of drug exposure. Non-transformed, as well as spontaneous neoplastic transformed liver cells and hepatoma cells were sensitive to its effect. T2-toxin had no selective action on cancer cells; however, a progression appeared in sensitivity to the toxic effect as a function of the degree of tumorigenicity of the cell line. This progression dis not exist for the cytostatic effect, which remained only in relation to the degree of proliferation of the cells in culture.