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PubMed1990

Analysis of domoic acid and related compounds by mass spectrometry and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry as N-trifluoroacetyl-O-silyl derivatives.

A method is presented for the analysis of shellfish tissue for domoic acid, a neurotoxic amino acid responsible for cases of amnesic shellfish poisoning. Tissue extracts are first taken through a two-stage solid-phase extraction clean-up, using reversed-phase and strong cation exchange cartridges. A two-stage derivatization, using N-methyl-bis-trifluoroacetamide followed by either N-methyl-tert-butyldimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide or N, O-bis-trimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide, is then used to produce an N-trifluoroacetyl-O-silyl derivative which can be analyzed by mass spectrometry with introduction via direct inlet probe, moving-belt liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer interface, or capillary column gas chromatography. The N-trifluoroacetyl-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivative, which has good stability towards hydrolysis, provides a spectrum well suited to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using selected ion recording. GC/MS data for two related compounds, kainic acid and dihydrokainic acid, are also reported. The latter is used as an internal standard for quantification of domoic acid, although the method reported is intended primarily for confirmation of the toxin and related compounds in shellfish tissue.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed1991

Light and scanning electron microscopic studies on effects of marine algal toxins toward freshly prepared hepatocytes.

Mussels exposed to dinoflagellates may represent a human health risk due to accumulation of a variety of algal toxins. In several parts of the world, algal toxins leading to diarrhea (diarrhetic shellfish poisons, DSP) are found in mussels for extended periods of the year. Routine monitoring of these toxins involves ip injections in mice. Chemical analytical methods have been developed for only some of the toxins in question, namely, those giving diarrhea. Other toxins in the DSP complex are not easily detected by analytical methods. In this report we show that freshly prepared hepatocytes from rats are a convenient means to differentiate between the toxins that give diarrhea and those that do not. Consequently, hepatocytes can be useful in both screening and as a tool in the process of developing analytical methods. Freshly prepared hepatocytes might be useful in combination either with the mouse bioassay or with chemical analytical methods.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Gastrointestinal effects of contaminated mussels and putative antidotes thereof.

A recent outbreak of amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) in Atlantic Canada was characterized by severe gastrointestinal and central nervous system pathology. We examined the gastrointestinal effects of an acidic extract of blue mussels contaminated with domoic acid, the suspected toxin responsible for the ASP. We also tested the gastric effects pure domoic acid as well as a putative antagonist of neuroexcitant amino acid receptors, kynurenic acid. Mussel extract produced gastric (antral) ulcers, duodenal ulcers, gastric and duodenal hyperemia and bleeding, as well as peritoneal ascites. Kynurenic acid protected significantly against extract-induced gastropathy, particularly when given 60 or 75 minutes after extract. Pure domoic acid resulted in fatalities in all infant mice tested. These animals exhibited gastric bleeding and hemorrhage, especially at the higher doses employed. In otherwise untreated rats, kynurenic acid exerted significant anti-stress ulcer and anti-gastric secretory effects, but was less effective at blocking ethanol-induced gastric lesions. We suggest that there may be both peripheral as well as central effects of kynurenic acid in modulating normal and pathological gastric function.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Toxicity of two toxins from the Florida red tide marine dinoflagellate, Ptychodiscus brevis.

The purification and crystallization of T17, a toxin from Ptychodiscus brevis, is reported. The toxicity of this compound and a second toxin known as T34 are compared by i.v., i.p. and oral administration in mice. Both toxins produce symptoms characteristic of muscarnic stimulants; hypersalivation, rhinorrhea and excessive urination and defecation being the most commonly observed. T17, which is orally toxic, is believed to be the agent responsible for Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1982

Comparison of the toxins of the blue-green alga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae with the Gonyaulax toxins.

A toxic strain of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (NH-1), isolated from a toxic bloom in a pond in Durham, New Hampshire, has been mass cultured in the laboratory. The toxin was extracted by ultrasonic disruption of the cells and purified by; (a) filtration through a 10 kilodalton filter, and (b) chromatography on a strong cation exchange resin column using 0.01 M, then 0.1 M, pH 5, sodium acetate buffer followed by 0.75 M hydrochloric acid. Mouse assays and fluorescence generated by hydrogen peroxide oxidation were used to monitor the fractions. Only a nonfluorescent toxic peak followed immediately by a fluorescent less-toxic peak were detected, both eluting with the hydrochloric acid fractions. The toxins were identical in behavior to neosaxitoxin and saxitoxin, respectively, when compared with elution profiles of the paralytic shellfish poisons from Gonyaulax tamarensis var. excavata and by paper electrophoretic and thin-layer chromatographic comparisons. The toxin profile appears to be different from that of a previously isolated strain of A. flos-aquae from Kezar Lake.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Local differences in toxin composition of a xanthid crab Atergatis floridus inhabiting Ishigaki Island, Okinawa.

Specimens of a xanthid crab Atergatis floridus were collected from two adjacent areas in Kabira Bay, Ishigaki Island, Okinawa and compared with respect to toxicity and toxin composition. 'Reef specimens', which were collected from the reefs of Kabira Bay, showed an average toxicity score of 380 MU/g as paralytic shellfish poison, and a toxin composition consisting mainly of saxitoxin and a neosaxitoxin-related substance. On the other hand, 'Kojima specimens', which were collected from a small island in the bay, showed an average toxicity of 38 MU/g as tetrodotoxin, and a toxin composition consisting mainly of tetrodotoxin and related substance(s).

Animals↗
PubMed1988

A tissue culture assay for tetrodotoxin, saxitoxin and related toxins.

In the presence of ouabain, veratridine enhances sodium influx in the mouse neuroblastoma cell line Neuro-2A (ATCC, CCL131), causing cellular swelling and subsequent death. Tetrodotoxin (puffer fish toxin) or saxitoxin (paralytic shellfish poison), both of which block the sodium channel of excitable membranes, antagonize this effect, enabling cell growth to continue. This phenomenon was used as the basis of a new assay for these toxins. It is also possible to estimate the quantity of TTX from the relationship between TTX concentration and percentage of living cells. This new method is simple, inexpensive, and sensitive, and may replace the conventional mouse bioassay.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Appearance and partial purification of a high molecular weight protein in crabs exposed to saxitoxin.

This paper provides evidence for a protein component which appears to be involved in the seasonal resistance of small shore crabs, Hemigrapsus oregonesis and Hemigrapsus nudus to saxitoxin, a principle neurotoxin involved in paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). This unique protein complex was isolated and partially purified by ion exchange chromatography using DEAE-cellulose from visceral tissue extracts of resistant crabs. The complex was absent in control crabs that were sensitive to saxitoxin. In addition, the protein complex was induced in the crab after acute administration of low doses of saxitoxin. Results indicate that the protein complex is acidic in nature and has an apparent mol. wt of 145,000.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Relationship between domoic acid levels in the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and toxicity in mice.

Monitoring of eastern blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), contaminated with domoic acid, involved mouse bioassays and quantitative analysis using HPLC. Mice undergo a typical scratching syndrome at sublethal as well as lethal doses of domoic acid. The onset of scratching behaviour and time of death in mice were inversely related to the dosage of domoic acid. An LD50 (i.p.) of 3.6 mg domoic acid/kg mouse was calculated. Toxic mussels held in tanks and flushed with uncontaminated sea water showed a decline in domoic acid concentration in mussel tissue with time. In addition, domoic acid concentrations in mussels from two infected rivers declined to negligible levels in 40-50 days under normal environmental conditions. The bulk of domoic acid and toxicity was located in the hepatopancreas which also contained large amounts of chlorophyll-A, an algae biomass indicator, relative to control mussels. These results support the conclusion that domoic acid was the primary causative factor in the shellfish poisonings from Prince Edward Island mussels in late 1987.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Diarrhetic shellfish toxins: improvement of sample clean-up for HPLC determination.

Okadaic acid and dinophysistoxin-1, the principal toxic components in diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, may be detected by high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorometric measurement as 9-anthrylmethyl esters. However, "greasy" samples may occur and the fluorescent reagent 9-anthryldiazomethane may decompose during storage, resulting in impurities that may seriously interfere with quantitative determination. Ultrasonic treatment of the samples during derivatization with 9-anthryldiazomethane was found to improve reproducibility. This may result from increased access to reactive sites on toxins by 9-anthryldiazomethane due to disruption of micelles formed by toxins and other partly hydrophobic compounds. A procedure for cleaning the derivatized samples, using a 0.1 g silica cartridge column and different eluent compositions from that reported by LEE et al. (1987), was found to facilitate chromatogram interpretation. Deoxycholic acid, a commercial available bile acid, was found to be an acceptable internal standard. The 9-anthrylmethyl esters of okadaic acid, dinophysistoxin-1 and deoxycholic acid, were stable at 4 degrees C for at least seven days when stored dry or in methanol.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Occurrence of tetrodotoxin-binding high molecular weight substances in the body fluid of shore crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus).

The shore crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus) is highly resistant to tetrodotoxin (TTX) although it contains no detectable amount of TTX (less than 5 MU/g, where 1 MU is defined as the amount of TTX killing a 20 g mouse in 30 min). Its body fluid was examined for neutralizing effects against the lethal activity of TTX. When the mixture of the body fluid and TTX was injected i.p. into mice, the lethal activity of TTX was significantly reduced; 1 ml of the body fluid was evaluated to neutralize 3.6-4.0 MU of TTX. Higher neutralizing activity (7.2-12.5 MU/ml of the body fluid) was exhibited by i.v. administration of the body fluid into mice before or after i.p. challenge of TTX. The lethal effect of paralytic shellfish poisons was not counteracted by the body fluid. Analysis by gel filtration on Sepharose 6B revealed that the body fluid contained TTX-binding high mol. wt substances (> 2,000,000) responsible for the neutralizing activity of the body fluid against TTX, which accounts for the high resistibility of the crab to TTX. When the crude toxin extracted from the liver of puffer (Takifugu niphobles) was mixed with the body fluid and chromatographed on Sepharose 6B, almost pure TTX was obtained from the fractions containing the TTX-binding high mol. wt substances, suggesting that the TTX-binding high mol. wt substances could be useful in purification of TTX from biological samples.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Short-time cytotoxicity of mussel extracts: a new bioassay for okadaic acid detection.

Okadaic acid (OA), the main toxin responsible for diarrhoeic shellfish poisoning (DSP) has high cytotoxicity for KB cell cultures (apparent after 3 hr of contact), facilitating rapid detection in contaminated mussels. We developed a method to determine the minimal active concentration (MAC) based on direct microscopic study of toxin-induced changes in cell morphology. A high correlation was found between the MAC of tested extracts and corresponding OA concentrations in mussel hepatopancreas as measured by high performance liquid chromatography. This technique is rapid and reproducible and does not require the use of living animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

An evaluation of the mouse bioassay applied to extracts of 'diarrhoetic' shellfish toxins.

The standard mouse bioassay, used to assess 'diarrhoetic shellfish poison' (DSP), is based on intraperitoneal administration of toxic mussel extracts, and monitoring of survival time within a 24-hr period. Toxic effects on mice were examined for extracts of mussel samples from two different regions of south Norway known to possess toxins of specific properties. Both samples revealed an exponential pattern in the dose-response relationship. Whereas the time lag from injection to death was linearly dependent on mouse weight, the effect of weight also increased with decreased sample toxicity. When tested with doses adjusted for weight, a marked individual variation was found within all size groups of mice. The results imply that, regarding prohibition limits for distribution and sale of mussels, a certain degree of variation with regard to time should be accepted in the testing of parallel samples. On the basis of the results, a revised method for the determination of toxicity by mouse bioassay is proposed for DSP testing. The method is based on administration to two mice of size-adjusted doses of extracts, followed by a 4-hr surveillance period and a 1-hr upper limit of acceptable time variation between parallel samples. The method shows advantages regarding savings of time and money, in precision in determination of toxicity level, as well as curtailed exposure to toxin and reduced suffering of laboratory animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Induction of morphological transformation in BALB/3T3 mouse embryo cells by okadaic acid.

Okadaic acid is produced by several types of dinoflagellates (marine plankton) and has been implicated as a causative agent of diarrhoetic shellfish poisoning. Okadaic acid, a known tumour promoter in vivo, has been shown to promote morphological transformation of carcinogen-initiated BALB/3T3 cells. This study shows that okadaic acid is capable of inducing morphological transformation of BALB/3T3 cells in the absence of an initiator.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An endogenous annual clock in the toxic marine dinoflagellate Gonyaulax tamarensis.

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Gonyaulax tamarensis (synonyms Protogonyaulax tamarensis and Alexandrium tamarense) cause outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in coastal waters throughout the world. In the Gulf of Maine, episodes occur between April and November, a seasonality due in part to life-cycle alternations between motile, vegetative cells and resting cysts which overwinter in bottom sediments. Newly formed cysts have a mandatory 2-6 month dormancy period during which germination is not possible, but once mature, the resting state will continue if temperatures are unfavourable or oxygen is unavailable. We now report another factor controlling germination of cysts of G. tamarensis from deep coastal waters--an endogenous annual clock that can override an otherwise favourable environment for germination. Similar annual variability in germination has not been observed for cysts of this species from shallow estuaries. These results represent the first conclusive demonstration of an endogenous circannual rhythm in a marine plant. They are evolutionarily and ecologically significant because an endogenous annual clock can lead to the release of motile cells into deep and relatively invariant bottom waters at those times when temperature and light at the surface are suitable for growth. In shallow waters where seasonal variability is large and extends to bottom sediments, a strategy similar to that of the seeds of terrestrial plants would be more appropriate, namely a direct coupling between germination and the external environment.

Biological Clocks↗
PubMed1989

Effects of the tumour promoter okadaic acid on intracellular protein phosphorylation and metabolism.

Okadaic acid is a polyether derivative of 38-carbon fatty acid, and is implicated as the causative agent of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. It is a potent tumour promoter that is not an activator of protein kinase C, but is a powerful inhibitor of protein phosphatases-1 and -2A (PP1 and PP2A) in vitro. We report here that okadaic acid rapidly stimulates protein phosphorylation in intact cells, and behaves like a specific protein phosphatase inhibitor in a variety of metabolic processes. Our results indicate that PP1 and PP2A are the dominant protein phosphatases acting on a wide range of phosphoproteins in vivo. We also find that okadaic acid mimics the effect of insulin on glucose transport in adipocytes, which suggests that this process is stimulated by a serine/threonine phosphorylation event.

Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase↗
PubMed1986

Evaluation of chicken embryo, brine shrimp, and bacterial bioassays for saxitoxin.

The chicken embryo, brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and selected bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Micrococcus flavus, and Bacillus subtilis) were evaluated as alternative test systems for the determination of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxicity (saxitoxin). Dose levels ranging from 0.045 to 0.3 microgram were administered to the developing embryo through the air cell at either 0 or 96 h following incubation. Embryos dosed 96 h after incubation were the most sensitive, with 100% mortality at the 0.11-microgram dose level 24 h following exposure. Embryo mortality was 42% at to 0.3-microgram dose level when the toxin was administered at 0 h. Some embryonic malformations were observed in the 0-h treatment group. Brine-shrimp larvae were sensitive to saxitoxin at a dose level of 5 micrograms. A dose response based on mortality was apparent only 48 h after dosing. Limited growth inhibition was observed with the bacteria tested at concentrations between 0.0035 and 0.35 microgram and 0.35 microgram/well.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Diarrhetic shellfish toxin, dinophysistoxin-1, is a potent tumor promoter on mouse skin.

Dinophysistoxin-1, 35-methylokadaic acid, is a causative agent of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. The biological activities and tumor-promoting activity of dinophysistoxin-1 were studied together with those of okadaic acid and 7-O-palmitoyl okadaic acid. Dinophysistoxin-1 is a skin irritant and induces ornithine decarboxylase in mouse skin with the same potency as okadaic acid. 7-O-Palmitoyl okadaic acid induced a lower activity than the other compounds. Dinophysistoxin-1 inhibited the specific [3H]okadaic acid binding to a particulate fraction of mouse epidermis. The binding affinities of dinophysistoxin-1 and okadaic acid to a particulate fraction were almost the same. Dinophysistoxin-1 showed a tumor-promoting activity as strong as that of okadaic acid in a two-stage carcinogenesis experiment on mouse skin. The percentages of tumor-bearing mice in the groups treated with 100 micrograms of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) followed by 5 micrograms of dinophysistoxin-1, twice a week, and with DMBA followed by 5 micrograms of okadaic acid twice a week were 86.7% and 80.0% in week 30, respectively. The average number of tumors per mouse was 4.6 in the former group and 3.9 in the latter. Dinophysistoxin-1 and okadaic acid act on cells through different pathways from the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-type tumor promoters.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗