Citation:

Chernoff, N., E. Rogers, Dan Zehr, M. Gage, G. Travlos, D. Malarkey, A. Brix, K. Beaudet, Judy Schmid, AND D. Hill. The Course of Toxicity in the Pregnant Mouse after Exposure to the Cyanobacterial Toxin, Cylindrospermopsin: Clinical Effects, Serum Chemistries, Hematology and Histopathology. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. Taylor & Francis, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, 77(17):1040-60, (2014).

Impact/Purpose:

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a toxin produced by a wide variety of fresh water cyanobacterial species worldwide and induces significant adverse effects in both livestock and humans. This study investigated the course of CYN-induced toxicity in pregnant mice exposed during either the period of major organogenesis (gestation days (GD) 8-12) or fetal growth (GD13-17).

Description:

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a toxin produced by a wide variety of fresh water cyanobacterial species worldwide and induces significant adverse effects in both livestock and humans. This study investigated the course of CYN-induced toxicity in pregnant mice exposed during either the period of major organogenesis (gestation days (GD) 8-12) or fetal growth (GD13-17). Endpoints include clinical signs of toxicity, serum analyses to evaluate hepatic function, histopathology of the liver and kidney, and hematology. Animals were given 5Oug/kg doses, i.p. and euthanized 24hrs after 1,2, 3, 4, or 5 doses and either 6 or 13 days after the 5th dose. The course of the CYN-induced effects was determined at all euthanasia times for the endpoints outlined above. The results indicate that CYN is a rapid-acting general systemic toxin producing lethality in dams during the early part of gestation, significant loss of weight, bleeding in the gastrointestinal area, tail tips and pen-orbital area, changes in serum markers for liver function indicating damage to that organ, histopathological changes in both liver and kidney tissues, hyperchioremia, hypokalemia, leukocytio changes indicative of an inflammatory reaction and changes in platelets and reticulocytes indicating blood loss and/or vascular damage. The onset of symptoms was rapid, producing reductions in weight gain in 01)8-12 animals, bleeding in the vaginal area in GDI3-l7 animals, and significant increases in SDI-1 in both groups. Although the GD8-12 group had a 50% lethality, the GD13-l7 had only a single death. The changes seen in hepatic and renal function do not appear to be of sufficient severity to cause death and we hypothesize that bleeding may play a critical role in the onset of symptoms and eventually, in the observed lethality.

Record Details: