Objective: To study the inhibitory effect of T-2 toxin on the expression of aggrecan and collagen II in chondrocytes and the protection of selenium against this effect.
Methods: Human chondrocytes cultured in vitro were treated with T-2 toxin at different concentrations for varied time periods (1-5 days), and the cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Aggrecan expression was detected by toluidine blue staining and collagen II expression by immunostaining using monoclonal antibody of collagen. Aggrecan and collagen II mRNA expressions were measured by semiquantitative RT-PCR.
Results: T-2 toxin dose- and time-dependently affected chondrocyte viability within the concentration range of 0.001-2 mg/L, the prolonged treatment time further enhanced the dose dependence of the inhibitory effect. T-2 toxin lowered aggrecan and collagen II synthesis in the chondrocytes and reduced their mRNA expressions. Selenium could partly attenuate the inhibitory effects of T-2 toxin on aggrecan mRNA expression, but showed no such effect against T-2-induced collagen II expression.
Conclusion: T-2 toxin can obviously inhibit aggrecan and collagen II synthesis in human chondrocytes, and selenium can partly antagonize the inhibitory effects of T-2 toxin on aggrecan.