In the present study, effects of T-2 toxin, a kind of trichothecene mycotoxins produced by the genus Fusarium, on CCl4-induced hepatic necrosis and expression of CYP2E1, a major metabolizing enzyme for CCl4, were examined in the liver of mice. T-2 toxin treatment (4 mg/kg b.w.) at one day before CCl4 inoculation (1 ml/kg b.w.) suppressed hepatic necrosis almost completely, and T-2 toxin treatment at one day after CCl4 inoculation delayed the recovery of hepatic necrosis. Although not significant, T-2 toxin (4 mg/kg b.w.) lowered the total P450 contents until 48 hrs after treatment. In addition, Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical examinations revealed that T-2 toxin significantly suppressed CYP2E1 expression from 24 to 48 hrs after treatment while it did not influence CYP3A2 expression. These results suggest that pretreatment of T-2 toxin may suppress CCl4-induced hepatic necrosis through suppression of CYP2E1 expression.
