ABSTRACT
A clone of toxic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis sp. and six specimens of a parrotfish Scarus ovifrons were collected in October 1997 at Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Ostreopsis sp. was cultured in ESM medium for 16 days, and after rearing the cell pellet (about 4.0x10(5) cells) was extracted with 50% methanol, partitioned between an aqueous layer and 1-butanol layer, and biochemically tested. Similarly, the crude toxin from S. ovifrons was extracted, and tested. The mice injected with each 1-butanol layer from Ostreopsis sp. and S. ovifrons showed the common symptoms of convulsion, drowsiness and collapse, and died within 48 h. The lethal potency of Ostreopsis sp. was calculated to be 1.0x10(-4) MU/cell. All specimens of S. ovifrons were found to be toxic, where the highest potency was determined as 2 MU/g in muscle of one specimen. After being injected with toxins, the serum creatine phosphokinase levels of mice were found to be elevated. Toxins from Ostreopsis sp. and S. ovifrons showed delayed haemolytic activity with mouse and human erythrocytes, which was inhibited by an anti-palytoxin (PTX) antibody antibody and ouabain. Toxins from Ostreopsis sp. and S. ovifrons thus resembled each other, and strongly suggested to be PTX or its akin substance. Additionally, a considerable number of adherent Ostreopsis sp. was found in the gut contents of S. ovifrons during the heavy occurrence of Ostreopsis sp. in October 1997 at Tokushima Prefecture. From the above results, it can be strongly postulated that the dinoflagellate Ostreopsis sp. is the origin of PTX which is sequestered by the parrotfish S. ovifrons through food chain.
Subject(s)
Acrylamides/metabolism , Dinoflagellida/metabolism , Fishes, Poisonous/metabolism , Foodborne Diseases/etiology , Acrylamides/analysis , Acrylamides/toxicity , Animals , Cnidarian Venoms , Creatine Kinase/blood , Dinoflagellida/chemistry , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Erythrocytes/drug effects , Food Chain , Hemolysis/drug effects , Humans , Japan , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred Strains , Muscle, Skeletal/drug effects , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Pacific Ocean , Tissue Extracts/chemistry , Tissue Extracts/metabolism , Tissue Extracts/toxicityABSTRACT
Between October 30 and November 4, 2000, eleven persons were intoxicated due to ingestion of a serranid fish Epinephelus sp. in Kochi Prefecture, Japan. Their symptoms were mainly featured by severe muscle pain, low back pain, and discharge of black urine. Serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels of victims were higher (700-23,800 IU/l) than normal values, and their recovery times were more than one month. Immediately after the incident, the leftovers were collected for investigation. The causative agent was identified as palytoxin (PTX) on the basis of delayed haemolytic activity which was inhibited by an anti-PTX antibody and ouabain (g-strophanthin). To our knowledge, this is the first report on palytoxin poisoning with serranid fish.
Subject(s)
Acrylamides/poisoning , Fishes, Poisonous , Foodborne Diseases/etiology , Perciformes , Acrylamides/isolation & purification , Acrylamides/toxicity , Adolescent , Adult , Animals , Cnidarian Venoms , Female , Foodborne Diseases/urine , Hemolysis/drug effects , Humans , Japan , Male , Mice , Middle Aged , Muscles/chemistry , Toxicity Tests, AcuteABSTRACT
The management of trigeminal neuralgia in older patients who do not want neurolytic block and/or surgical treatment may be problematic. This paper describes three patients who had first and/or second division trigeminal neuralgia. The analgesic effects of infraorbital nerve block using 0.5% bupivacaine or 1% mepivacaine dissipated within a few days, however, the effects of nerve blocks using 4% tetracaine dissolved in 0.5% bupivacaine continued for more than 3 months. Hypesthesia was observed in two patients within a week following the block, but sensory level returned to normal within 2 weeks and there were no further complications in any patient.