Jellyfish venom proteins and their pharmacological potentials: A review.

Several research in the organisms of marine invertebrates to assess the medicinal ability of its bio-active molecules have yielded very positive results in recent times. Jellyfish secreted venoms are rich sources of toxins intended to catch prey or deter predators among invertebrate species, but they may also have harmful effects on humans. The nematocyst, a complex intracellular system that injects a venomous mixture into prey or predators that come into contact with the tentacles or other parts of the body of cnidarians, determines the venomous existence of cnidarians. Nematocyst venoms are mixtures of peptides, proteins and other components that in laboratory animals can induce cytotoxicity, blockade of ion channels, membrane pore formation, in vivo cardiovascular failure and lethal effects. There are also valuable pharmacological and biological aspects of jellyfish venoms. In the present review, overviews of the variety of possible toxin families in cnidarian venoms are addressed in this analysis and these potential toxins are surveyed with those from other cnidarians that offer insight into their potential functions such as anti-oxidant, anti-cancer activity and much more. This research review will provide awareness of the growing repertoire of jellyfish venom proteins and will help to further isolate and classify particular proteins to understand its structure and functional relationship.

Blockade of Acid-Sensing Ion Channels Attenuates Recurrent Hypoglycemia-Induced Potentiation of Ischemic Brain Damage in Treated Diabetic Rats.

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease and cerebral ischemia is a serious complication of diabetes. Anti-diabetic therapy mitigates this complication but increases the risk of exposure to recurrent hypoglycemia (RH). We showed previously that RH exposure increases ischemic brain damage in insulin-treated diabetic (ITD) rats. The present study evaluated the hypothesis that increased intra-ischemic acidosis in RH-exposed ITD rats leads to pronounced post-ischemic hypoperfusion via activation of acid-sensing (proton-gated) ion channels (ASICs). Streptozotocin-diabetic rats treated with insulin were considered ITD rats. ITD rats were exposed to RH for 5 days and were randomized into Psalmotoxin1 (PcTx1, ASIC1a inhibitor), APETx2 (ASIC3 inhibitor), or vehicle groups. Transient global cerebral ischemia was induced overnight after RH. Cerebral blood flow was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry. Ischemic brain injury in hippocampus was evaluated using histopathology. Post-ischemic hypoperfusion in RH-exposed rats was of greater extent than that in control rats. Inhibition of ASICs prevented RH-induced increase in the extent of post-ischemic hypoperfusion and ischemic brain injury. Since ASIC activation-induced store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) plays a role in vascular tone, next we tested if acidosis activates SOCE via activating ASICs in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We observed that SOCE in VSMCs at lower pH is ASIC3 dependent. The results show the role of ASIC in post-ischemic hypoperfusion and increased ischemic damage in RH-exposed ITD rats. Understanding the pathways mediating exacerbated ischemic brain injury in RH-exposed ITD rats may help lower diabetic aggravation of ischemic brain damage.

Natural Compounds and Drug Discovery: Can Cnidarian Venom Play a Role?

Natural compounds extracted from organisms and microorganisms are an important resource for the development of drugs and bioactive molecules. Many such compounds have made valuable contributions in diverse fields such as human health, pharmaceutics and industrial applications. Presently, however, research on investigating natural compounds from marine organisms is scarce. This is somewhat surprising considering that the marine environment makes a major contribution to Earth's ecosystems and consequently possesses a vast storehouse of diverse marine species. Interestingly, of the marine bioactive natural compounds identified to date, many are venoms, coming from Cnidarians (jellyfish, sea anemones, corals). Cnidarians are therefore particularly interesting marine species, producing important biological compounds that warrant further investigation for their development as possible therapeutic agents. From an experimental aspect, this review aims to emphasize and update the current scientific knowledge reported on selected biological activity (antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, antitumoral, anticoagulant, along with several less studied effects) of Cnidarian venoms/extracts, highlighting potential aspects for ongoing research towards their utilization in human therapeutic approaches.

Antagonists to TRPV1, ASICs and P2X have a potential role to prevent the triggering of regional bone metabolic disorder and pain-like behavior in tail-suspended mice.

Our recent studies demonstrated that regional bone loss in the unloaded hind limbs of tail-suspended mice triggered pain-like behaviors due to the acidic environment in the bone induced by osteoclast activation. The aims of the present study were to examine whether TRPV1, ASIC and P2X (known as nociceptors) are expressed in bone, and whether the antagonists to those receptors affect the expression of osteoblast and osteoclast regulators, and prevent the triggering of not only pain-like behaviors but also high bone turnover conditions in tail-suspension model mice. The hind limb-unloaded mice were subjected to tail suspension with the hind limbs elevated for 14days. The effects of the TRPV1, ASIC3, P2X2/3 antagonists on pain-like behaviors as assessed by the von Frey test, paw flick test and spontaneous pain scale; the expressions of TRPV1, ASICs, and P2X2 in the bone; and the effects of those antagonists on osteoblast and osteoclast regulators were examined. In addition, we evaluated the preventive effect of continuous treatment with a TRPV1 antagonist on the trigger for pain-like behavior and bone loss in tail-suspended mice. Pain-like behaviors were significantly improved by the treatment with TRPV1, ASIC, P2X antagonists; TRPV1, ASICs and P2X were expressed in the bone tissues; and the antagonists to these receptors down-regulated the expression of osteoblast and osteoclast regulators in tail-suspended mice. In addition, continuous treatment with a TRPV1 antagonist during tail-suspension prevented the induction of pain-like behaviors and regional bone loss in the unloaded hind limbs. We, therefore, believe that those receptor antagonists have a potential role in preventing the triggering of skeletal pain with associated regional bone metabolic disorder.

Sea Anemones: Quiet Achievers in the Field of Peptide Toxins.

Sea anemones have been understudied as a source of peptide and protein toxins, with relatively few examined as a source of new pharmacological tools or therapeutic leads. This is surprising given the success of some anemone peptides that have been tested, such as the potassium channel blocker from Stichodactyla helianthus known as ShK. An analogue of this peptide, ShK-186, which is now known as dalazatide, has successfully completed Phase 1 clinical trials and is about to enter Phase 2 trials for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. One of the impediments to the exploitation of sea anemone toxins in the pharmaceutical industry has been the difficulty associated with their high-throughput discovery and isolation. Recent developments in multiple 'omic' technologies, including genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, coupled with advanced bioinformatics, have opened the way for large-scale discovery of novel sea anemone toxins from a range of species. Many of these toxins will be useful pharmacological tools and some will hopefully prove to be valuable therapeutic leads.

Hemolytic, anticancer and antigiardial activity of Palythoa caribaeorum venom

Background Cnidarian venoms and extracts have shown a broad variety of biological activities including cytotoxic, antibacterial and antitumoral effects. Most of these studied extracts were obtained from sea anemones or jellyfish. The present study aimed to determine the toxic activity and assess the antitumor and antiparasitic potential of Palythoa caribaeorum venom by evaluating its in vitro toxicity on several models including human tumor cell lines and against the parasite Giardia intestinalis. Methods The presence of cytolysins and vasoconstrictor activity of P. caribaeorum venom were determined by hemolysis, PLA2 and isolated rat aortic ring assays, respectively. The cytotoxic effect was tested on HCT-15 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (human mammary adenocarcinoma), K562 (human chronic myelogenous leukemia), U251 (human glyoblastoma), PC-3 (human prostatic adenocarcinoma) and SKLU-1 (human lung adenocarcinoma). An in vivo toxicity assay was performed with crickets and the antiparasitic assay was performed against G. intestinalis at 24 h of incubation. Results P. caribaeorum venom produced hemolytic and PLA2 activity and showed specific cytotoxicity against U251 and SKLU-1 cell lines, with approximately 50% growing inhibition. The venom was toxic to insects and showed activity against G. intestinalis in a dose-dependent manner by possibly altering its membrane osmotic equilibrium. Conclusion These results suggest that P. caribaeorum venom contains compounds with potential therapeutic value against microorganisms and cancer.

Hemolytic, anticancer and antigiardial activity of Palythoa caribaeorum venom

Cnidarian venoms and extracts have shown a broad variety of biological activities including cytotoxic, antibacterial and antitumoral effects. Most of these studied extracts were obtained from sea anemones or jellyfish. The present study aimed to determine the toxic activity and assess the antitumor and antiparasitic potential of Palythoa caribaeorum venom by evaluating its in vitro toxicity on several models including human tumor cell lines and against the parasite Giardia intestinalis. Methods: The presence of cytolysins and vasoconstrictor activity of P. caribaeorum venom were determined by hemolysis, PLA2 and isolated rat aortic ring assays, respectively. The cytotoxic effect was tested on HCT-15 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (human mammary adenocarcinoma), K562 (human chronic myelogenous leukemia), U251 (human glyoblastoma), PC-3 (human prostatic adenocarcinoma) and SKLU-1 (human lung adenocarcinoma). An in vivo toxicity assay was performed with crickets and the antiparasitic assay was performed against G. intestinalis at 24 h of incubation. Results: P. caribaeorum venom produced hemolytic and PLA2 activity and showed specific cytotoxicity against U251 and SKLU-1 cell lines, with approximately 50% growing inhibition. The venom was toxic to insects and showed activity against G. intestinalis in a dose-dependent manner by possibly altering its membrane osmotic equilibrium. Conclusion: These results suggest that P. caribaeorum venom contains compounds with potential therapeutic value against microorganisms and cancer.(AU)

Peripheral 5-HT3 Receptors Are Involved in the Antinociceptive Effect of Bunodosine 391.

Bunodosine 391 (BDS 391), a low molecular weight compound isolated from the sea anemone Bunodosoma cangicum, increases the nociceptive threshold and inhibits inflammatory hyperalgesia. Serotonin receptors are involved in those effects. In this study, we have expanded the characterization of the antinociceptive effect of BDS 391 demonstrating that, in rats: (a) the compound inhibits (1.2-12 ng/paw) overt pain, in the formalin test, and mechanical hyperalgesia (0.6-6.0 ng/paw) detected in a model of neuropathic pain; (b) intraplantar administration of ondansetron, a selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, blocks the effect of BDS 391, whereas ketanserin, a 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, partially reversed this effect, indicating the involvement of peripheral 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors in BDS 391 antinociception; and (c) in binding assay studies, BDS 391 was not able to displace the selective 5-HT receptor antagonists, suggesting that this compound does not directly bind to these receptors. The effect of biguanide, a selective 5-HT3 receptor agonist, was also evaluated. The agonist inhibited the formalin's nociceptive response, supporting an antinociceptive role for 5-HT3 receptors. Our study is the first one to show that a non-peptidic low molecular weight compound obtained from a sea anemone is able to induce antinociception and that activation of peripheral 5-HT3 receptors contributes to this effect.

Regional osteoporosis due to osteoclast activation as a trigger for the pain-like behaviors in tail-suspended mice.

Pathological conditions with refractory skeletal pain are often characterized by regional osteoporotic changes such as transient osteoporosis of the hip, regional migratory osteoporosis, or complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Our previous study demonstrated that the acidic microenvironment created by osteoclast activation under high bone turnover conditions induced pain-like behaviors in ovariectomized mice through the stimulation of acid-sensing nociceptors. The aim of the present study was to examine whether regional transient osteoporotic changes are related to pain-like behaviors in the hind limb using tail-suspended model mice. The hind limbs of tail-suspended mice were unloaded for 2 weeks, during which time the mice revealed significant regional osteoporotic changes in their hind limbs accompanied by osteoclast activation. In addition, these changes were significantly recovered by the resumption of weight bearing on the hind limbs for 4 weeks. Consistent with the pathological changes in the hind limbs, pain-like behaviors in the mice were induced by tail suspension and recovered by the resumption of weight bearing. Moreover, treatment with bisphosphonate significantly prevented the triggering of the regional osteoporosis and pain-like behaviors, and antagonists of the acid-sensing nociceptors, such as transient receptor potential channel vanilloid subfamily member 1 and acid-sensing ion channels, significantly improved the pain-like behaviors in the tail-suspended mice. We, therefore, believe that regional transient osteoporosis due to osteoclast activation might be a trigger for the pain-like behaviors in tail-suspended model mice. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1226-1236, 2017.

Effect of an Acid-sensing Ion Channels Inhibitor on Pain-related Behavior by Nucleus Pulposus Applied on the Nerve Root in Rats.

STUDY DESIGN: Controlled, interventional animal study. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of an inhibitor of acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) on pain-related behavior induced by application of the nucleus pulposus (NP) onto the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in rats. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: ASIC3 is associated with acidosis pain in inflamed or ischemic tissues and is expressed in sensory neurons and NP cells. The ASIC3 inhibitor, APETx2, increases the mechanical threshold of pain in models of knee osteoarthritis or postoperative pain. However, the efficacy of APETx2 for pain relief in the NP application model remains unknown. METHODS: Autologous NP was applied to the left L5 nerve root of 183 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats. The DRGs were treated with NP plus one of the following four treatments: saline solution (SM), low (0.01 µg: LD), medium (0.1 µg: MD), or high dose (1.0 µg: HD) of APETx2. Behavioral testing was performed to investigate the mechanical withdrawal threshold using von Frey hairs. Expression of nerve growth factor, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α), activating transcription factor-3, and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule-1 was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Statistical differences among multiple groups were assessed using the Steel test, the Tukey-Kramer test, and the Dunnett test. P < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: The thresholds in the HD group were higher than those in the SM group at Days 14 and 21 (P < 0.05). In the MD group, the threshold was higher than in the SM group at Day 14 (P < 0.05). High doses of APETx2 reduced the expression of HIF1α after Day 14 compared with the SM group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: APETx2 significantly improved pain-related behavior in a dose-dependent manner. APETx2 may inhibit ASIC3 and partly inhibit Nav1.8 channels. This ASIC3 channel inhibitor may be a potential therapeutic agent in early-stage lumbar disc herniation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A.

Analgesic and CNS Depressant Activities of Sea Anemone Heteractis aurora Nematocyst Toxin.

Marine organisms are the excellent sources for biologically active compounds. Cnidarian venoms are potentially valuable materials used for biomedical research and drug development. The present work was carried out to analyse haemolytic, analgesic and CNS depressant activity of sea anemone Heteractis aurora. In haemolytic assay, among the five different RBC blood cells, the chicken blood exhibited maximum hemolytic activity of 64 Hemolytic Unit (HU). The maximum Analgesic Ratio (AR) of 5 recorded at 15 and 30 min interval and minimum was recorded after 45, 60 and 120 min time intervals. In jumping response activity, the maximum of 5 AR recorded at 15, 30 & 45 min and minimum was recorded at 90 & 120 min time intervals. The maximum decrease of depressant activity of 45.07% was determined in CNS depressant activity. Anti-inflammatory activity showed significant inhibition by crude extract of Heteractis aurora.

Buccal mucosal delivery of a potent peptide leads to therapeutically-relevant plasma concentrations for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Stichodactyla helianthus neurotoxin (ShK) is an immunomodulatory peptide currently under development for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis by parenteral administration. To overcome the low patient compliance of conventional self-injections, we have investigated the potential of the buccal mucosa as an alternative delivery route for ShK both in vitro and in vivo. After application of fluorescent 5-Fam-ShK to untreated porcine buccal mucosa, there was no detectable peptide in the receptor chamber using an in vitro Ussing chamber model. However, the addition of the surfactants sodium taurodeoxycholate hydrate or cetrimide, and formulation of ShK in a chitosan mucoadhesive gel, led to 0.05-0.13% and 1.1% of the applied dose, respectively, appearing in the receptor chamber over 5h. Moreover, confocal microscopic studies demonstrated significantly enhanced buccal mucosal retention of the peptide (measured by mucosal fluorescence associated with 5-Fam-ShK) when enhancement strategies were employed. Administration of 5-Fam-ShK to mice (10mg/kg in a mucoadhesive chitosan-based gel (3%, w/v) with or without cetrimide (5%, w/w)) resulted in average plasma concentrations of 2.6-16.2nM between 2 and 6h, which were substantially higher than the pM concentrations required for therapeutic activity. This study demonstrated that the buccal mucosa is a promising administration route for the systemic delivery of ShK for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Computational approaches for designing potent and selective analogs of peptide toxins as novel therapeutics.

Peptide toxins provide valuable therapeutic leads for many diseases. As they bind to their targets with high affinity, potency is usually ensured. However, toxins also bind to off-target receptors, causing potential side effects. Thus, a major challenge in generating drugs from peptide toxins is ensuring their specificity for their intended targets. Computational methods can play an important role in solving such design problems through construction of accurate models of receptor-toxin complexes and calculation of binding free energies. Here we review the computational methods used for this purpose and their application to toxins targeting ion channels. We describe ShK and HsTX1 toxins, high-affinity blockers of the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3, which could be developed as therapeutic agents for autoimmune diseases.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of jellyfish venom.

The venom of certain jellyfish has long been known to be potentially fatal to humans, but it is only recently that details of the proteomes of these fascinating creatures are emerging. The molecular contents of the nematocysts from several jellyfish species have now been analyzed using proteomic MS approaches and include the analysis of Chironex fleckeri, one of the most venomous jellyfish known. These studies suggest that some species contain toxins related to peptides and proteins found in other venomous creatures. The detailed characterization of jellyfish venom is likely to provide insight into the diversification of toxins and might be a valuable resource in drug design.

The selective ASIC3 inhibitor APETx2 alleviates gastric mucosal lesion in the rat.

This study aimed to assess the in vivo efficacy of acid sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) inhibitor APETx2 to alleviate acute gastric mucosal lesion (AGML) in a rat model. Thirty-six male Wistar rats were divided randomly into three groups: control group, water immersion restraint stress (WIRS) group, and APETx2 treatment group (n = 12). AGML was induced by WIRS for 6 h, and 25 microg/kg APETx2 was injected intraperitoneally before the onset of stress. Intragastric pH, ulcer index (UI) and gastric histopathological changes were measured, ASIC3 expression in thoracic dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons was examined by immunohistochemistry, PCR and Western blot analysis. Compared with control group, WIRS group showed obvious gastric injury with increased UI score, decreased intragastric pH and increased ASIC3 expression in DRG neurons (p < 0.05). APETx2 treatment before WIRS significantly alleviated gastric mucosal injury, decreased UI score, decreased gastric acidity and reduced ASIC3 expression in thoracic DRG neurons (p < 0.05). In conclusion, ASIC3 expression in DRG neurons projecting to the stomach is positively correlated with gastric mucosal lesion and acidosis in WIRS model. ASIC3 inhibitor APETx2 could improve gastric acidosis and alleviate AGML.

The role of Cnidaria in drug discovery. A review on CNS implications and new perspectives.

Many organisms produce bioactive substances used in the production of drugs. In this context, Cnidaria occupy a major position; for this reason, research on new bioactive substances has focused upon them as an interesting target. As a matter of fact, substances and extracts able to fight human diseases have been found in cnidarians, several of which have been studied in laboratories using animal models or cell cultures and, at present, some are in the pre-clinical phase. This review aims to highlight the research on existing drugs or new drug candidates extracted from Cnidaria and the recent patents published in this field; furthermore, as many cnidarian venoms are known to have an impact on the CNS and on neuromuscular transmission, this review particularly considers the research concerning CNS drug discovery and pending patents.

Toxins from the Caribbean sea anemone Bunodeopsis globulifera increase cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity of lung adenocarcinoma cells

Background: Lung cancer causes 1.4 million deaths worldwide while non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80-85% of the cases. Cisplatin is a standard chemotherapy against this type of cancer; however, tumor cell resistance to this drug limits its efficacy. Sea anemones produce compounds with pharmacological activities that may be useful for augmenting cisplatin efficacy. This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacological activities of crude venom (CV) from the sea anemone Bunodeopsis globulifera and four derived fractions (F1, F2, F3 and F4) to test their increase efficiency cisplatin cytotoxicity in human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Results: Pre-exposure to CV, F1 and F2 fractions increases cisplatin cytotoxicity in human lung adenocarcinoma cells under specific conditions. Exposure to CV at 50 μgmL-1 induced a reduction of approximately 50% in cell viability, while a similar cytotoxic effect was observed when cell culture was exposed to F1 at 25 μgmL -1 or F2 at 50 μgmL-1. The cell culture exposure to F1 (10 μgmL-1) fraction combined with cisplatine (25 μM) provoked a decrease in MTT reduction until 65.57% while F2 (25 μgmL-1) fraction combined with cisplatin (10 μM) provoked a decrease in MTT reduction of 72.55%. Conclusions: The F1 fraction had the greatest effect on the lung adenocarcinoma cell line compared with CV and F2. The combination of antineoplastic drugs and sea anemone toxins might allow a reduction of chemotherapeutic doses and thus mitigate side effects.