phomopsin and Autolysis

The effect of phomopsin, the mycotoxin of Phomopsis leptostromiformis responsible for lupinosis, was examined in pregnant rats and their embryos. A single injection of the rate of 0.025-0.4 mg/kg was administered on days 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 of pregnancy or repeated injections at the daily rate of 0.03 or 0.09 mg/kg were given on days 6-10 or 11-15. Effects on embryonic development were examined on day 20. A single dose of 0.4 mg/kg or repeated doses of 0.09 mg/kg caused heavy embryonic mortality. Repeated doses of 0.03 mg/kg over days 6-10 caused a lower mortality. Foetuses that survived the higher dose rates were severely retarded in their growth and skeletal ossification was irregular. The incidence of other developmental defects was too low for phomopsin to be unequivocally implicated. The dose levels used induced lesions of lupinosis of varying severity in the dams. Toxicity for dams and embryos was greater when the total dose was administered over 5 days than after a single injection.

Topics: Animals; Ascites; Autolysis; Body Weight; Bone Development; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Embryo, Mammalian; Female; Liver; Microphthalmos; Mycotoxins; Ossification, Heterotopic; Placenta; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains