Objective: To investigate the effect of Kashin-Beck disease (KBD)-affected feed and T-2 toxin on the bone development of Wistar rats.
Methods: Seventy-eight ablactation Wistal rats (50% male and 50% female) weighing approximately 65 g were obtained from Sichuan Medical Center (Chengdu, China), and were randomly assigned to three groups (Groups A, B and C). Group A had 24 rats and were fed with commercial rat feed (control); Group B had 30 rats and were fed with commercial rat feed and T2 toxin by intragastric administration; and Group C had 24 rats and were fed with the KBD-affected feed. The histological sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson dye.
Results: Weight gain was fastest Group A rats and Group C rats had the lowest weight gain (P < 0.05). There were no epiphyseal plate chondrocyte necroses in the control group at the first, second, and fourth weeks. In the T-2 toxin group, two rats had chondrocyte-focus necroses at the labrocyte cell zone at the second week. At the fourth week, six rats had chondrocyte-focus or lamellar necroses at the labrocyte cell zone. Three rats had focus necrosis at the proliferation cell zone, and there were three rats with penetration necrosis. In the KBD-affected group, one rat had chondrocyte-focus necrosis at the labrocyte cell zone at the second week and seven rats had chondrocyte-focus necrosis at the labrocyte cell zone at the fourth week. And at the same time, two rats had focus necrosis at the proliferation cell zone, three rats had lamellar necrosis at the labrocyte cell zone, four had focus necrosis at the labrocyte cell zone, and two rats had penetration necrosis. The epiphyseal plate Masson dye of the control group showed deep blue collogen coloration and in the KBD-affected group and T-2 toxin group, collogen showed a pale blue color, the drum dyeing was uneven, and the collogen was showed an absence of color in the region of the necrosis.
Conclusions: With KBD-affected feed or T-2 toxin intervention, rats had focus necrosis and lamellar necrosis at the epiphyseal plate. KBD-affected feed rats had less weight gain than T-2 toxin intervention rats, which means there were other etiological factors in KBD-affected feed.