Immunomodulatory effects of selenium and vitamin E on alterations in T lymphocyte subsets induced by T-2 toxin.

Abstract Context: T-2 toxin, a potent mycotoxin, has serious effects on immune system. Here, the effects of a sublethal dose of this toxin on T lymphocyte sub-population levels and the potential protective effects from treatment with selenium or vitamin E were studied. After having determined the sublethal dose of the T-2 toxin in Balb/c mice hosts, the post-injection kinetics of changes in T lymphocyte sub-population (CD3(+), CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells) profiles were analyzed via flow cytometry. For these studies, the selenium and vitamin E were either provided to the mice before or concurrent with the toxin. The results show that after a sublethal dose of T-2 alone, the number of CD8(+) T-lymphocytes was significantly decreased at 12 h and normalized at 48 h. In contrast, level of CD3(+) and CD4(+) T-lymphocytes were significantly increased at 24 h and returned to normal after 48 h. When selenium was injected into the mice 24 h before or concurrent with the T-2, the effects on CD8(+) cells were mitigated. Oddly, only when the selenium was given with the toxin could the effects on the CD3(+) and CD4(+) cells be altered. Vitamin E, when injected 24 h before or concurrent with the T-2 toxin, was only able to impact upon the CD8(+) lymphocyte alterations induced by the toxin. Compared with vitamin E, it seems that selenium could assert an important effect against the immunotoxic effects of T-2 toxin against T lymphocytes.