Ultrastructural damage to heart tissue from repeated oral exposure to yessotoxin resolves in 3 months.

Yessotoxin (YTX), an algal toxin contaminating edible shellfish, was previously shown to induce ultrastructural changes in some cardiac muscle cells of mice after acute (1 and 2mg/kg) or daily repeated oral exposure (1 and 2mg/kg/day, for 7 days). Therefore, the temporal evolution of the ultrastructural myocardial alterations and the development of other signs of toxicity induced by a repeated daily oral administration of YTX (1mg/kg/day, for 7 days) to mice were evaluated within 3 months after the treatment. Symptoms, food consumption, body weight, gross pathology and histopathology of the main organs and tissues were observed, and plasma levels of transaminases, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine and creatinine phosphokinase were measured. Heart, liver, kidneys and cerebellum were also analysed by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the blood concentration of YTX was determined by a direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) 24h after the last toxin administration. No mortality or other treatment-related changes, including histological or hematoclinical parameters, were recorded in mice administered with YTX. Similarly, electron microscopy did not reveal any ultrastructural alteration in the liver, kidneys, and cerebellum associated with YTX treatment. In contrast, changes in cardiac muscle cells near to the capillaries (clusters of rounded mitochondria and disorganization of myofibrils) were observed 24h after the treatment. These changes were also noted 30 days after the toxin administration, while after 90 days no differences in cardiac muscle cells between control and YTX-treated mice were observed, which indicated a recovery of the ultrastructural alterations induced by the toxin.

Acute phase gene expression in mice exposed to the marine neurotoxin domoic acid.

Domoic acid is a rigid analog of the neurotransmitter glutamate and a potent agonist of kainate subtype glutamate receptors. Persistent activation of these receptor subtypes results in rapid excitotoxicity, calcium dependent cell death and neuronal lesions in areas of the brain where kainate pathways are concentrated. To better understand responses to domoic acid induced excitotoxicity, microarrays were used to profile gene expression in mouse brain following domoic acid exposure. Adult female mice were subjected intraperitoneally to domoic acid at the lethal dose 50, killed and dissected at 30, 60 and 240 min post-injection. Total brain RNA from treated mice was compared with time-matched controls on Agilent 22K feature microarrays. Real-time PCR was performed on selected genes. For the 30, 60 and 240 min time points, 3.96%, 3.94% and 4.36% of the genes interrogated were differentially expressed (P-value < or = 0.01), respectively. Rigorous filtering of the data resulted in a set of 56 genes used for trending analysis and K-medians and agglomerative clustering. The earliest genes induced consisted primarily of early response gene families (Jun, Fos, Ier, Egr, growth arrest and DNA damage 45) and the inflammatory response element cyclooxygenase 2. Some later responding genes involved glucocorticoid responses (Gilz, Sgk), cold inducible proteins (Cirbp, Rbm3), Map kinases (Map3k6) and NF-kappaB inhibition. Real-time PCR in male mice from an additional study confirmed the expression of several of these genes across gender. The transcriptional profile induced by domoic acid shared similarity with expression profiles of brain ischemia and other excitotoxins, suggesting a common transcriptional response.

Mapping and reconstruction of domoic acid-induced neurodegeneration in the mouse brain.

Domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin and glutamate analog produced by certain species of the marine diatom Pseudonitzschia, is responsible for several human and wildlife intoxication events. The toxin characteristically damages the hippocampus in exposed humans, rodents, and marine mammals. Histochemical studies have identified this, and other regions of neurodegeneration, though none have sought to map all brain regions affected by domoic acid. In this study, mice exposed (i.p.) to 4 mg/kg domoic acid for 72 h exhibited behavioral and pathological signs of neurotoxicity. Brains were fixed by intracardial perfusion and processed for histochemical analysis. Serial coronal sections (50 microm) were stained using the degeneration-sensitive cupric silver staining method of DeOlmos. Degenerated axons, terminals, and cell bodies, which stained black, were identified and the areas of degeneration were mapped onto Paxinos mouse atlas brain plates using Adobe Illustrator CS. The plates were then combined to reconstruct a 3-dimensional image of domoic acid-induced neurodegeneration using Amira 3.1 software. Affected regions included the olfactory bulb, septal area, and limbic system. These findings are consistent with behavioral and pathological studies demonstrating the effects of domoic acid on cognitive function and neurodegeneration in rodents.

Transforming growth factor-alpha and -beta are potent and effective inhibitors of GH4 pituitary tumor cell proliferation.

The mechanisms that restrict cell proliferation play an important regulatory role in differentiation and tumorigenesis. The growth of PRL-secreting cells of the anterior pituitary is known to be highly estrogen dependent; however, estrogen may act indirectly via growth regulatory polypeptides. We have used the GH4C1 rat pituitary cell line to investigate the action of two classes of growth regulatory polypeptides, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) and TGF beta. TGF alpha and TGF beta each inhibit GH4 cell proliferation, as measured by cell number and [3H]thymidine incorporation, and given together arrest GH4 cell proliferation. The growth inhibitory action of TGF alpha is concentration dependent (IC50 = 100 pM) and saturable. Activin-A, a TGF beta-related polypeptide, also inhibits proliferation, but is less effective than TGF beta. TGF alpha and TGF beta each alter GH4 cell cycle distribution by decreasing in the percentage of S phase cells (74% and 34%, respectively) and increasing proportionally G0-G1 phase cells. The growth inhibitory action of TGF alpha differs from that of TGF beta in that TGF alpha also causes a temporary accumulation of cells in G2-M phases. We next initiated experiments to evaluate the role of protein kinase-C in the growth inhibitory actions of TGF alpha and TGF beta. The alpha- and beta-isoforms of protein kinase-C were down-regulated by pretreatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, yet TGF alpha and TGF beta still substantially inhibited GH4 cell proliferation. We next compared the actions of TGF alpha and TGF beta on two other well characterized prolonged GH4 responses. TGF alpha and TGF beta each increased GH4 cell adhesion, but differed in their effects on PRL production. This indicates that TGF alpha and TGF beta activate different signaling pathways in GH4 cells. Activin-A acted like TGF beta by enhancing cell-substratum adhesion and inhibiting PRL production, consistent with an interaction at a common receptor site. Taken together these results identify biological functions for TGF alpha, TGF beta, and activin-A on PRL cells and open the possibility that they may represent the direct in vivo mediators of estrogen action to regulate the growth of PRL cells in the anterior pituitary gland.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone inhibits GH4 pituitary cell proliferation by blocking entry into S phase.

TRH inhibits the proliferation of GH4 rat pituitary cells. We have characterized TRH inhibition of cell proliferation by four approaches: cell number, [3H]thymidine incorporation per culture, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) incorporation per cell, and cell cycle distribution. TRH decreases GH4 cell number within 18 h of treatment, and this inhibition is maintained for up to 96 h. TRH inhibits [3H]thymidine incorporation into GH4 cell cultures as early as 12 h, and the inhibition of [3H] thymidine incorporation correlates, after a 6-h lag, with decreased GH4 cell number. TRH inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation is concentration dependent and saturable, with half-maximal inhibition (IC50) of 2 nM. TRH inhibition of [3H] thymidine incorporation is receptor number dependent up to 160,000 sites/cell, suggesting no spare receptors for TRH on GH4C1 cells. The precise action of TRH on GH4 cell proliferation was examined by flow cytometry of fluorescein isothiocyanate-anti-BrdUrd- and propidium iodide-DNA stained cells. TRH inhibits the number of cells that incorporate BrdUrd and not the amount of BrdUrd incorporated per cell. Dual analysis indicates that the decreased anti-BrdUrd staining is largely restricted to cells in the early S phase. This action of TRH is prolonged (greater than 32 h) and results in a parallel increase in the number of cells in G2-M and G1. These findings indicate that TRH inhibits GH4 cell proliferation at least in part by inhibiting the number of cells entering the S phase.

A transforming growth factor-alpha pathway is expressed in GH4C1 rat pituitary tumors and appears necessary for tumor formation.

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) is a growth regulatory peptide expressed largely as a high mol wt species in the anterior pituitary gland. The overall objective of this work was to test the hypothesis that altered expression of TGF alpha may play a role in the tumorigenicity of the GH4C1 cell line. We examined expression of TGF alpha in three related clones of pituitary tumor cells (GH1, GH3, and GH4C1) grown as transplantable tumors, the MtT/W5 tumor from which they were derived, and anterior pituitary glands of Wistar-Furth rats, the source of the MtT/W5 tumor. Wistar-Furth anterior pituitary, MtT/W5, GH1, GH3, and GH4C1 extracts all contained TGF alpha-specific immunoreactivity, which, when examined on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel transfers, was of high relative mol wt, corresponding to incompletely processed TGF alpha. In neither the anterior pituitary nor the tumors was the fully processed 6-kilodalton TGF alpha form identified, indicating that mature TGF alpha is expressed to only a limited degree in normal and tumor pituitary tissue. We next determined whether a lack of receptors for TGF alpha may account for the MtT/W5 tumor phenotype in vivo. Scatchard analysis of [125I] epidermal growth factor ([125I]EGF) saturation isotherm binding identified a comparable class of sites in both the anterior pituitary gland and GH4C1 transplantable tumors. Specific binding sites were also found in MtT/W5, GH1, and GH3 tumors. Thus, the functional components of a TGF alpha pathway exist in both the anterior pituitary gland and GH4C1 transplantable tumors. We lastly examined whether a TGF alpha pathway plays a functional role in GH4C1 tumor formation. Toward this aim, we isolated TGF alpha-nonresponsive variants by two different selection schemes: one using a TGF alpha-toxin conjugate, and the other using a TGF alpha-inducible morphological phenotype. Each variant had decreased [125I]EGF specific binding and little or no EGF growth inhibitory response in vitro. We also isolated a mutagen-induced revertant from one of the variants based on expression of the TGF alpha-inducible morphological phenotype. These cells were found to have a normal complement of receptors and EGF growth inhibitory response in vitro. GH4C1, the two variants, and the revertant cells were inoculated into Wistar-Furth rats, and their growth observed for 8 weeks. The GH4C1 cells and the revertant formed tumors by 8 weeks, whereas the two variant cells failed to form tumors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Transforming growth factor-alpha and its receptor are expressed in the epithelium of the rat prostate gland.

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) is a growth regulatory polypeptide factor that is expressed by several prostatic tumor cell lines. In this investigation, we examined whether TGF alpha is expressed during morphogenesis of the rat prostate gland. We first examined whether the prostate gland expressed TGF alpha by immunohistochemistry. Using a sheep antiserum directed against the mature sequence of TGF alpha, immunoreactivity was identified in the ventral and lateral, but not the dorsal, lobes of the prostate gland from 9-week-old rats. TGF alpha immunoreactivity was localized to a supranuclear site of the epithelial cells, with no immunoreactivity in the stromal cells or elsewhere in the prostate gland. A mouse monoclonal antibody directed against a TGF alpha epitope near cysteine-16 also identified the polypeptide. Furthermore, we confirmed that TGF alpha was synthesized in the epithelial cells of the ventral prostate gland, using an antiserum raised against the intracellular sequences of the transmembrane precursor. To assess the primary target for TGF alpha, we examined expression of receptors for TGF alpha (epidermal growth factor receptor) and found receptors to be localized to the apical surface of the epithelial cells of the ventral prostate gland. We next investigated a potential developmental role for TGF alpha in the rat prostate by examining TGF alpha expression in ventral rat prostate glands ranging from 8 days postpartum to 9 weeks of age. We found that TGF alpha expression was directly proportional to the developmental stage of the gland. Significantly, the fourth week of prostate development marked the appearance of TGF alpha expression in the supranuclear region of the epithelial cells. Immunohistochemical staining of progressively mature prostates of 5 and 6 weeks that contain more complex acinar formations exhibited more intense and highly localized TGF alpha staining. In conclusion, TGF alpha and its receptor have been identified in the apical region of epithelial cells of the rat prostate, and there is reason to believe that TGF alpha may function as an autocrine factor that promotes differentiated functions in the prostate gland.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone and epidermal growth factor stimulate prolactin synthesis by a pathway(s) that differs from that used by phorbol esters: dissociation of actions by calcium dependency and additivity.

TRH, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulate PRL synthesis by GH4C1 rat pituitary cells. Recent evidence suggests that TPA activates directly phospholipid- and calcium-dependent protein kinase C in other cell types and that TRH might act analogously by altering phospholipid metabolism in GH4C1 cells. To examine the pathways by which these three agents stimulate PRL synthesis, we determined their calcium dependencies as well as their combined effects on PRL production. By equilibration of GH4C1 cells in a protein-free medium for 24 h, the free cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was found to increase (from 90 to 360 nM) when the extracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]e) was varied from 15 to 800 microM. Basal PRL production increased in parallel (from 1 to 4 micrograms/ml X 24 h). TPA-stimulated PRL production was highly calcium dependent and required 180 nM [Ca2+]i for maximal enhancement. TRH-stimulated PRL production was constant between 10 and 660 microM [Ca2+]e, whereas EGF stimulated PRL production to a similar extent as TRH at 10 microM [Ca2+]e, but continued to enhance production with increasing [Ca2+]e. TRH elevated [Ca2+]i acutely, and at [Ca2+]e greater than 100 microM caused both a burst and a plateau phase in elevated [Ca2+]i. At lower [Ca2+]e, at which TRH still caused a maximal stimulation of PRL production, only the burst phase of [Ca2+]i occurred. When cultures were treated with any combination of maximally effective concentrations of TPA, TRH, or EGF, PRL production was increased by additive increments. The additive actions of TPA and TRH could not be explained by a calcium-promoted increase in TPA-stimulated PRL production. We conclude that TPA stimulates PRL production by a highly calcium-dependent pathway and that TRH and EGF stimulate PRL production by a different pathway(s) requiring lower [Ca2+]i.

Human pituitary somatotropes express transforming growth factor-alpha and its receptor.

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is a growth-regulatory peptide produced by a variety of transformed and non-transformed cells. Among non-transformed cells, TGF-alpha has been identified in the prolactin (PRL)- and GH-secreting cells of the bovine anterior pituitary gland. In this report, we have examined the expression of TGF-alpha in human anterior pituitary glands by Western analysis and immunohistochemistry. For the Western analysis, human pituitary glands were extracted in acid/ethanol, an acetic acid-soluble fraction was ether-precipitated and dialysed, and TGF-alpha was partially purified by C18 chromatography. TGF-alpha was then identified by immunostaining of Western transfers. Anterior pituitary extracts exhibited a major band(s) migrating at 19 kDa that was immunoreactive with a monoclonal antibody directed against the mature TGF-alpha. However, no evidence of the fully processed 6 kDa TGF-alpha was observed. We next identified TGF-alpha by immunohistochemistry. Using both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, specific immunoreactivity was identified in a population of secretory cells in the anterior pituitary gland. Using antibodies specific for the COOH and NH3 terminals of the TGF-alpha precursor, a comparable number of TGF-alpha-positive cells were found to contain TGF-alpha precursor sequences. These results indicate that the 19 kDa form of TGF-alpha expressed in the human pituitary gland may exist as the transmembrane form. We next sought to determine which cells express TGF-alpha in a human male pituitary gland. On frontal sections, TGF-alpha-immunopositive cells were evenly distributed in a manner and number indistinguishable from GH-immunopositive cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Maitotoxin-elevated cytosolic free calcium in GH4C1 rat pituitary cells nimodipine-sensitive and -insensitive mechanisms.

Maitotoxin includes an extracellular Ca2+-dependent membrane depolarization predominantly via activation of L-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (L-VDCC) in GH4C1 rat pituitary cells. In contract to studies employing intracellular dyes, electrophysiological studies have indicated that maitotoxin activates voltage-independent conductances. In the present study, we used fura-2 calcium digital analysis to investigate the actions of very low concentrations of maitotoxin on cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) in GH4C1 cells in an effort to distinguish different calcium entry mechanisms. Maitotoxin at concentrations as low as 0.01 ng/mL elevated [Ca2+]i 35 +/- 3% and induced membrane depolarization. The concentration dependency for maitotoxin-elevated [Ca2+]i was biphasic with the first phase maximal at 0.05 to 0.5 ng/mL and the minimum EC50 of the second phase about 2.0 ng/mL. Nimodipine (100 nM), a dihydropyridine antagonist of L-VDCC, prevented the [Ca+2]i increase and depolarization induced by up to 0.1 ng/mL maitotoxin, but not at higher concentration (0.5 ng/mL) of maitotoxin. This indicates that lower concentrations (0.1 ng/mL) of maitotoxin require L-VDCC, whereas higher concentrations (>-0.5 ng/mL) of maitotoxin may require additional ionic mechanisms. Maitotoxin (0.5 ng/mL) induced 45Ca2+ uptake and depolarization in Ltk-cells which lack VDCC. Reducing extracellular Cl- from 123 to 5.8 microM increased the magnitude of membrane depolarization by maitotoxin (0.5 ng/mL), which suggests that a Cl- conductance participated in depolarization induced by higher maitotoxin concentrations. Taken together, our results indicate that maitotoxin activates at least two ionic mechanisms. At lower concentrations of maitotoxin, the primary ionic mechanism requires the activation of L-VDCC; however, at higher maitotoxin concentrations, additional ionic mechanisms are involve in the entry of extracellular Ca2+. This latter mechanism may represent the voltage-independent pathway evident under voltage clamp conditions.

Sexual dimorphism of brain aromatase activity in medaka: induction of a female phenotype by estradiol.

In this study we identified sex-dependent dimorphism of brain aromatase in the teleost medaka and examined its regulation by sex steriods. We first investigated differential distribution of brain aromatase activity in sexually mature male and female medaka in serial coronal sections of the brain and identified the hypothalamic nuclei contained in each section using the brain atlas of medaka. In the brain of male medaka, high levels of activity are localized in sections containing the preoptic (POA) and suprachiasmatic nuclei (SC) (63-75 fmol/hr) and low levels in the nuclei periventricular dorsalis (HD), ventralis (HV), and caudalis (Hc), nuclei diffusus of lobulus inferiores (NDIL), and nuclei tuberi anteriores (TA) and posteriores (TP) (< 25 fmol/hr). In the brain of female medaka high aromatase activity is localized in sections containing the HD, HV, Hc, NDIL, TA, and TP (85-80 fmol/hr) and highly variable levels in the POA and SC (23-70 fmol/hr). The concentration and time dependency of the exposure of male medaka to estradiol on the total brain aromatase activity and morphologic sex characteristics were determined next. Estradiol increased the activity of brain aromatase in a concentration-dependent manner at 2.5 and 25 microg/L, but the increase was lower at higher concentrations of the hormone. The effect was time dependent, gradually increasing up to the fifth day of exposure, after which it reached a plateau. Estradiol induction of brain aromatase analyzed using Lineweaver-Burke plots of saturation assays revealed a non-first-order reaction. The results indicate that a positive feedback mechanism regulates brain aromatase and imply that the sexual dimorphic distribution of aromatase may be highly sensitive to physiologic cues and environmental perturbations in fish.

Use of GH4C1 cell variants to demonstrate a non-spare receptor model for thyrotropin-releasing hormone action.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulates maximally both the release of previously synthesized prolactin and the de novo synthesis of prolactin by GH4C1 rat pituitary cells at concentrations less than those necessary to fully occupy the TRH receptor at equilibrium. We have examined the dependency of maximal TRH-enhanced prolactin release and synthesis on receptor number using GH4C1 cell variants with different numbers of TRH receptors. GH4C1 cell variants with increased and decreased numbers of TRH receptors were selected by using a morphological response known as stretching which renders the cells more adherent to the tissue culture substrate. We found that maximal TRH-enhancement of prolactin release or synthesis increased proportionally to the number of TRH receptors per cell, indicating that spare receptors do not exist for TRH on these GH4C1 cells. We also found that occupancy of the TRH receptor by the analogue, N3im-methyl-TRH (MeTRH), in contrast to TRH, closely paralleled stimulated prolactin release in a manner consistent with Clark's receptor-occupancy model. We conclude that differences between apparent Kd and ED50 for TRH do not necessarily result from spare receptors in GH4C1 cells.

The red tide toxin, brevetoxin, induces embryo toxicity and developmental abnormalities.

Brevetoxins are lipophilic polyether toxins produced by the red tide dinoflagellate Gymnodinium breve, and their neurotoxic effects on adult animals have been documented. In this study, we characterized adverse developmental effects of brevetoxin-1 (PbTx-1) using an exposure paradigm that parallels the maternal oocyte transfer of toxin. Medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) embryos were exposed to PbTx-1 via microinjection of toxin reconstituted in a triolein oil droplet. Embryos microinjected with doses of 0.1-8.0 ng/egg (ppm) of brevetoxin-1 exhibited pronounced muscular activity (hyperkinesis) after embryonic day 4. Upon hatching, morphologic abnormalities were commonly found in embryos at the following lowest adverse effect levels: 1.0-3.0 ppm, lateral curvature of the spinal column; 3.1-3.4 ppm, herniation of brain meninges through defects in the skull; and 3.4-4.0 ppm, malpositioned eye. Hatching abnormalities were also commonly observed at brevetoxin doses of 2.0 ppm and higher with head-first, as opposed to the normal tail-first, hatching, and doses > 4.1 ng/egg produced embryos that developed but failed to hatch. Given the similarity of developmental processes found between higher and lower vertebrates, teratogenic effects of brevetoxins have the potential to occur among different phylogenetic classes. The observation of developmental abnormalities after PbTx-1 exposure identifies a new spectrum of adverse effects that may be expected to occur following exposure to G. breve red tide events.

Permanent and functional male-to-female sex reversal in d-rR strain medaka (Oryzias latipes) following egg microinjection of o,p'-DDT.

Complete sex reversal of fish is accomplished routinely in aquaculture practices by exposing fish to exogenous sex steroids during gonadal differentiation. A variety of environmental chemicals are also active at sex steroid receptors and theoretically possess the potential to alter normal sexual differentiation in fish. However, in controlled environmental chemical exposures to date, only partial alterations of fish sexual phenotype have been observed. Here we report complete, permanent, and functional male-to-female sex reversal in the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes, d-rR strain) after a onetime embryonic exposure to the xenoestrogen o, p'-DDT. d-rR strain medaka are strict gonochorists that possesses both sex-linked pigmentation, which distinguishes genotypic sex, and sexually dimorphic external secondary sexual characteristics, which distinguish phenotypic sex. We directly microinjected the xenoestrogen o, p'-DDT into the egg yolks of medaka at fertilization to parallel the maternal transfer of lipophilic contaminants to the embryo. At 10 weeks of age, microinjected medaka were examined for mortality and sex reversal. A calculated embryonic dose of 511 +/- 22 ng/egg o, p'-DDT (mean +/- standard error) resulted in 50% mortality. An embryonic exposure of 227 +/- 22 ng/egg o, p'-DDT resulted in 86% (6 of 7) sex reversal of genetic males to a female phenotype (XY females). XY females were distinguished by sex-linked male pigmentation accompanying female secondary sexual characteristics. Histologic examination of the gonads confirmed active ovaries in 100% of the XY females. In 10-day breeding trials in which XY females were paired with normal XY males, 50% of the XY females produced fertilized embryos; this represents a comparable breeding success rate to normal XX females. Fertilized eggs produced from XY females hatched to viable larvae. These results clearly indicate that a weakly estrogenic pesticide, o, p'-DDT, when presented during the critical period of gonadal development, can profoundly alter sexual differentiation.

Biomonitoring brevetoxin exposure in mammals using blood collection cards.

A method has been tested in laboratory mice to monitor for the presence of brevetoxins in blood after exposure. The use of blood collection cards is an adaptation of a method employed for routine diagnostic and genetic testing of newborns. Blood is collected and applied to a 0.5-inch diameter circle on a specially prepared blood collection card and allowed to dry. The blood spots are then extracted and the presence of toxin activity is first screened using a high throughput receptor binding assay. Positive samples are then examined for specific brevetoxin congeners by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Preliminary experiments tested the efficiency and linearity of toxin extraction from blood spiked with brevetoxin-3 (PbTx-3). Blood from treated mice was tested for the presence of brevetoxin at different times following exposure to a sublethal dose (180 microg/kg PbTx-3). Brevetoxin activity determined by receptor assay increased to 25 +/- 7.4 nM PbTx-3 equivalents within 4 hr after exposure and was still detectable in three of four animals 24 hr after exposure. Tandem mass spectrometry provided confirmation of PbTx-3, which also increased for the time points between 0.5 and 4.0 hr exposure. However, PbTx-3 was not detected at 24 hr, which suggested the formation of a biologically active metabolite. We anticipate that this approach will provide a method to biomonitor brevetoxins in living marine resources (e.g., finfish), protected species, and humans.

Microfluorimetric analysis of a purinergic receptor (P2X7) in GH4C1 rat pituitary cells: effects of a bioactive substance produced by Pfiesteria piscicida.

Pfiesteria piscicida Steidinger & Burkholder is a toxic dinoflagellate that leads to fish and human toxicity. It produces a bioactive substance that leads to cytotoxicity of GH4C1 rat pituitary cells. Extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) acting on P2X7 purinergic receptors induces the formation of a nonselective cation channel, causing elevation of the cytosolic free calcium followed by a characteristic permeabilization of the cell to progressively larger ions and subsequent cell lysis. We investigated whether GH4C1 rat pituitary cells express functional P2X7 receptors, and if so, are they activated by a bioactive substance isolated from toxic P. piscicida cultures. We tested the selective agonist 2'-3'-O-(benzoyl-4-benzoyl)-ATP (BzATP) and antagonists piridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2'-4'-disulfonic acid (PPADS) and oxidized-ATP (oxATP) using elevated cytosolic free calcium in Fura-2 loaded cells, and induced permeability of these cells to the fluorescent dye YO-PRO-1 as end points. We demonstrated that in GH4C1 cells, BzATP induces both the elevation of cytosolic free calcium and the permeabilization of the cell membrane. ATP-induced membrane permeabilization was inhibited by PPADS reversibly and by oxATP irreversibly. The putative Pfiesteria toxin (pPfTx) also elevated cytosolic free calcium in Fura-2 in GH4C1 cells and increased the permeability to YO-PRO-1 in a manner inhibited fully by oxATP. This study indicates that GH4C1 cells express a purinoceptor with characteristics consistent with the P2X7 subtype, and that pPfTx mimics the kinetics of cell permeabilization by ATP.

Reporter gene assay for fish-killing activity produced by Pfiesteria piscicida.

Collaborative studies were performed to develop a functional assay for fish-killing activity produced by Pfiesteria piscicida. Eight cell lines were used to screen organic fractions and residual water fraction by using a 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-(2-4)]-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cytotoxicity assay. Diethyl ether and a residual water fraction were cytotoxic to several cell lines including rat pituitary (GH(4)C(1)) cells. Residual water as well as preextracted culture water containing P. piscicida cells induced c-fos-luciferase expressed in GH(4)C(1) cells with a rapid time course of induction and sensitive detection. The reporter gene assay detected activity in toxic isolates of P. piscicida from several North Carolina estuaries in 1997 and 1998 and may also be suitable for detecting toxic activity in human and animal serum.

Identification of a P2X7 receptor in GH(4)C(1) rat pituitary cells: a potential target for a bioactive substance produced by Pfiesteria piscicida.

We examined the pharmacologic activity of a putative toxin (pPfTx) produced by Pfiesteria piscicida by characterizing the signaling pathways that induce the c-fos luciferase construct in GH(4)C(1) rat pituitary cells. Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) was determined to increase and, at higher concentrations, decrease luciferase activity in GH(4)C(1) rat pituitary cells that stably express c-fos luciferase. The inhibition of luciferase results from cytotoxicity, characteristic of the putative P. piscicida toxin (pPfTx). The actions of both pPfTx and ATP to induce c-fos luciferase were inhibited by the purinogenic receptor antagonist pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid (PPADS). Further characterization of a P2X receptor on the GH(4)C(1) cell was determined by the analog selectivity of P2X agonists. The P2X1/P2X3 agonist alpha,beta-methylene ATP (alpha,beta-MeATP) failed to increase or decrease c-fos luciferase. However, the P2X7 agonist 2',3'-(4-benzoyl)benzoyl ATP (BzATP), which had a predominant cytotoxic effect, was more potent than ATP. Immunoblot analysis of GH(4)C(1) cell membranes confirmed the presence of a 70-kDa protein that was immunoreactive to an antibody directed against the carboxy-terminal domain unique to the P2X7 receptor. The P2X7 irreversible antagonist oxidized-ATP (oxATP) inhibited the action of ATP, BzATP, and pPfTx. These findings indicate that GH(4)C(1) cells express purinogenic receptors with selectivity consistent with the P2X7 subtype and that this receptor pathway mediates the induction of the c-fos luciferase reporter gene by ATP and the putative Pfiesteria toxin

Current progress in isolation and characterization of toxins isolated from Pfiesteria piscicida.

The isolation and partial purification of toxic substances derived from Pfiesteria piscicida Steidinger & Burkholder extracts is described. Four distinct bioassay systems were used to monitor bioactivity of the P. piscicida extracts, including a high throughput cell cytotoxicity assay and a reporter gene assay as well as assays using brine shrimp and fish. Using these bioassays to guide fractionation, we have isolated two distinct, active fractions from Pfiesteria culture medium and cell mass extracts on the basis of their solubility characteristics. We have identified and characterized a bioactive lipophilic substance from Pfiesteria-derived extracts as di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a commonly used plasticizer. The source of this typically man-made substance has been identified as originating from Instant Ocean (Aquarium Systems, Mentor, OH, USA), a commercially available seawater salt mixture used to prepare our mass culture growth medium. We have developed chromatographic methodology to isolate a bioactive polar compound isolated from extracts of Pfiesteria culture and presently report the characterization of the activity of this substance. The molecular structural analysis of the polar active component(s) using mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is currently under way.

Glutamate receptors and calcium entry mechanisms for domoic acid in hippocampal neurons.

Domoic acid (50 nM) elevates cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) levels in 49% of the hippocampal pyramidal neurons isolated from postnatal day one (PND1) rats. This effect was prevented by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX; an antagonist of non-N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA) receptors, but not 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (AP-5; an antagonist of NMDA receptors). Domoic acid given at 5 microM also elevated [Ca2+]i levels in a second population (36%) of neurons in which the effect was only partially inhibited by 100 microM CNQX. Nimodipine given at 300 nM prevented the elevation in [Ca2+]i caused by 50 nM and 5 microM domoic acid, indicating that domoic acid induced Ca2+ entry through type L voltage dependent calcium channels. These results provide evidence for at least two domoic acid-sensitive non-NMDA receptor subtypes in primary cultures of neonatal hippocampal pyramidal cells and indicate that voltage-dependent calcium channels are a primary calcium entry mechanism for domoic acid action.