COMPARATIVE CYTOTOXICITY OF FUMONISIN B-1 AND MONILIFORMIN IN CHICKENPRIMARY-CELL CULTURES

Two water-soluble Fusarium metabolites, fumonisin B-1 (FB1) and monili formin (MN) were compared for their cytotoxicity in a variety of chick en primary cell cultures. Cardiac and skeletal myocytes and hepatocyte s derived from embryos, and splenocytes, macrophages, and chondrocytes derived from 3- to 4-week old chickens were cultured in media contain ing either FB1 or MN (0 to 1 mM) for 48 hr. The colorimetric tetrazoli um cleavage assay was then used for measuring cell survival. FB1 was n ot toxic to macrophages, hepatocytes, cardiac and skeletal myocytes bu t toxic to splenocytes and chondrocytes. MN was not toxic to chondrocy tes and macrophages, but toxic to splenocytes, cardiac and skeletal my ocytes. Median effective concentration (EC(50)) of MN in skeletal myoc ytes was 42 mu M (fiducial limits: 33 to 50 mu M) and in cardiac myocy tes was 95 mu M (fiducial limits: 84 to 122 mu M). Estimated EC(50) of FB1 in chondrocytes and splenocytes and EC(50) of MN in splenocytes w ere all greater than 200 mu M.