In vitro vomitoxin exposure alters IgA and IgM secretion by CH12LX B cells

The CH12LX cell line was used as a clonal model to assess the direct effects of vomitoxin on IgM and IgA secretion in B cells. When vomitoxin was included in LPS-driven CH12LX B cell cultures, it had multiple effects on Ig secretion. Whereas vomitoxin doses of 115 and 120 ng/ml caused 50% inhibition(ID₅₀) of IgA and IgM production, respectively, toxin concentrations in the 5 to 50 ng/ml range slightly stimulated IgA production. However, low vomitoxin doses did not induce switching of membrane IgM+ CH12LX B cells to membrane IgA+. Total cell number was unaffected at vomitoxin concentrations up to 100 ng/ml but dropped markedly at 200 ng/ml (ID₅₀=170 ng/ml). Using the MTT reduction assay as another measure of viability and cell function, vomitoxin was also inhibitory (ID₅₀=130 ng/ml). Both thymidine incorporation and leucine incorporation were also inhibited by the toxin with estimated ID₅₀s being 120 and 110 ng/ml, respectively. The results indicate that although at high doses, vomitoxin inhibits proliferation, Ig secretion and DNA/protein synthesis in the clonal B cell model, the toxin marginally stimulated IgA secretion at lower doses.