Original Article Absorption, Distribution and Pathological Injury in Mice Due to Ricin Poisoning Via the Alimentary Pathway

Abstract: The aim of this work was to investigate the potential interactions between intestinal absorbance and ricin poisoning. The Caco-2 cell monolayer and everted intestinal sac (VEIS) models were used. The distribution of ricin in CD-1 mice intoxicated with 0.1 mg/kg of ricin intragastrically was determined by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that ricin could not transfer across the healthy Caco-2 cell monolayer within three hours after poisoning. However, it could pass through the everted rat intestinal wall after 0.5 h of incubation. The toxin in the liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys of mice could be detected as early as 1 h after intoxication. The pathological results were in accordance with the cytotoxicities of ricin in Caco-2, HepG 2, H1299 and MDCK cells, indicating that though no significant symptom in mice could be observed within 3 h after ricin intoxication, important tissues, especially the kidneys, were being injured by the toxin and that the injuries were progressing. (DOI: 10.1293/tox.2013-0049; J Toxicol Pathol 2014; 27: 73–80) Key words: ricin, immunohistochemistry, alimentary poisonin