Jd. Penner et al., DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY OF PURIFIED FUMONISIN B-1 IN PREGNANT SYRIAN-HAMSTERS, Journal of applied toxicology, 18(3), 1998, pp. 197-203
The purpose of this study was to characterize the developmental toxici
ty of fumonisin B-1 (FB1), a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium moniliform
e, on fetal Syrian hamsters, Fusarium moniliforme has been associated
with a variety of diseases in animals and esophageal cancer in humans,
Purified FB1 causes leukoencephalomalacia in horses and is hepatocarc
inogenic in rats. Fumonisin B-1 has been associated with fetal toxicit
y in rats and mice and has been suggested to be involved in reproducti
ve failure in pregnant sows. Results from a preliminary developmental
toxicity study using an aqueous extract of F, moniliforme corn-culture
material in hamsters suggested that FB1 was a developmental toxicant,
These results were verified using purified FB1, Six groups of ten tim
e-mated female Syrian hamsters were dosed with 0.0-18 mg kg(-1) day(-1
) of FB1 by gavage on days 8-12 of gestation and euthanized on day 15,
Live fetuses were weighed and examined for gross external and interna
l abnormalities and skeletal anomalies, Purified fumonisin B-1 was sho
wn to cause dose-dependent fetal death and delayed fetal development w
ithout causing fetal abnormalities. (C) 1998 John Wiley gr Sons, Ltd.