Brevetoxins inhalation

Abraham, W.M., Bourdelais, A.J., Ahmed, A., Serebriakov, I. and Baden, D.G. 2005. Effects of inhaled brevetoxins in allergic airways toxin-allergen interactions and pharmacologic intervention. Environmental Health Perspectives 113, 632-637. 

The fate and metabolism of algal toxins is unclear and understudied however, it is known that the absorption of both lipophilic and hydrophilic algal toxins occurs rapidly from the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. For example, to evaluate brevetoxin toxicokinetics from acute inhalation exposure up to 7 days, 12-week-old male F344/Crl BR rats were... 

Marine toxins may be developed from marine organisms. Examples include saxitoxin, tetrodotoxin, palytoxin, brevetoxins, and microcystin. Saxitoxin is a sodium-channel blocker and is most toxic by inhalation compared to the other routes of exposure. Saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin are similar in mechanical action, toxicity, and physical attributes. They can be lethal within a few minutes when inhaled. It has not yet been chemically synthesized efficiently, or easily created in large quantities from natural sources. Palytoxin is produced from soft coral and is highly toxic. It is, however, difficult to produce or harvest from nature. 

The NSP symptoms are nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, in addition to neurological symptoms like paresthesia beginning within minutes to hours after consuming shellfish. In addition, inhalation of aerosols containing brevetoxins may induce reversible upper respiratory syndrome [3]. 

The above documents the consequences of toxin ingestion. A few reports suggest that inhalation of aerosolized toxin may cause conjunctival irritation, rhinorrhea, respiratory irritation, and possibly exacerbate or cause symptoms similar to reactive airways disease [168, 169]. Several recent studies have provided additional evidence of adverse respiratory effects, including upper airway irritation and discomfort, decreases in pulmonary function parameters, and worsening asthma symptoms, due to occupational and environmental exposures to aerosolized brevetoxins. 

Benson, J., Hahn, R, March, T. et al., Inhalation toxicity of brevetoxin 3 in rats exposed for 5 days,... 

Yan, X., Benson, J. M., Gomez, A. P. et al., Brevetoxin-induced neural insult in the retrosplenial cortex of mouse brain, Inhal. Toxicol. 18, 1109, 2006. 

Structure, nomenclature and occurrence Neurotoxic brevetoxins are metaboHtes that are found in the microscopic algae Gymno-dinium breve (syn. Ptychodiscus brevis), which occur in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean region and New Zealand. The extreme algae blooms, for example, along the coast of Florida, creates a so-called red tide, which is a frequent cause of mass fish poisoning. Toxins present in the air as an aerosol may cause temporary inhalation problems when inhaled. 

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