The acute toxicity of retrorsine, aflatoxin and sterigmatocystin in vervet monkeys.

The 10 day LD50 values of retrorsine, aflatoxin and sterigmatocystin in vervet monkeys were determined. The values were 46, 3·7 and 32 mg./kg. body weight, respectively. All 3 of these naturally occurring compounds are hepatotoxins and they give rise to varying degrees of bile duct proliferation, central and midzonal hepatocellular degeneration and haemorrhagic necrosis. Furthermore, their toxic effects are manifested in the kidney, adrenal, testis and at high doses on the endothelium of small blood vessels. Dimethylsulphoxide, the organic solvent used for dissolving sterigmatocystin in these experiments, causes centrilobular fatty changes at low doses and diffuse hepatocellular fatty changes at higher doses.