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Shiga toxin type 2 (Stx2), a potential agent of bioterrorism, has a short distribution and a long elimination half-life, and induces kidney and thymus lesions in rats

  • Organ Toxicity and Mechanisms
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Abstract

Shiga toxin type 2, a major virulence factor produced by the Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli, is a potential toxin agent of bioterrorism. In this study, iodine-125 (125I) was used as an indicator to describe the in vivo Stx2 biodistribution profile. The rats were injected intravenously (i.v.) with 125I-Stx2 at three doses of 5.1–127.5 μg/kg body weight. Stx2 had a short distribution half-life (t 1/2α, less than 6 min) and a long elimination half-life in rat. The toxicokinetics of Stx2 in rats was dose dependent and nonlinear. Stx2 concentrations in various tissues were detected at 5-min, 0.5-h, and 72-h postinjection. High radioactivity was found in the lungs, kidneys, nasal turbinates, and sometimes in the eyes, which has never been reported in previous studies. In a preliminary assessment, lesions were found in the kidney and thymus.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.30901278 and No.81072677), and in part by the grant from National Grand Program of China (2008ZX10004-015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiological Omics and Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, No.20 Dongdajie, Fengtai District, 100071, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Yue-Nan Liu, Tao Li, Qin Wang, Wei Tu, Kun Cai, Xiao-Jun Hou, Ren-Mao Tian, Xiang Gao, Hao Liu, Le Xiao, Jing Shi, Yuan-Guo Cheng, Jian-Chun Li & Hui Wang

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Box 9, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China

    Yue-Nan Liu & Jian-Chun Li

  3. Department of Urology, Beijing Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Sheng-han Wang

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  1. Yue-Nan Liu
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  2. Sheng-han Wang
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  3. Tao Li
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  8. Ren-Mao Tian
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  10. Hao Liu
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  11. Le Xiao
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  12. Jing Shi
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  13. Yuan-Guo Cheng
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  14. Jian-Chun Li
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  15. Hui Wang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jian-Chun Li or Hui Wang.

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Yue-Nan Liu and Sheng-han Wang have contributed equally to this work.

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Liu, YN., Wang, Sh., Li, T. et al. Shiga toxin type 2 (Stx2), a potential agent of bioterrorism, has a short distribution and a long elimination half-life, and induces kidney and thymus lesions in rats. Arch Toxicol 85, 1133–1140 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-010-0639-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-010-0639-0

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