Shellfish poisoning paralytic

The use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the study of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) has facilitated a greater understanding of the biochemistry and chemistry of the toxins involved. HPLC enables the determination of the type and quantity of the PSP toxins present in biological samples. An overview of the HPLC method is presented that outlines the conditions for both separation and detection of the PSP toxins. Examples of the use of the HPLC method in toxin research are reviewed, including its use in the determination of the enzymatic conversion of the toxins and studies on the movement of the toxins up the marine food chain. 

Acute poisoning of humans by freshwater cyanobacteria as occurs with paralytic shellfish poisoning, while reported, has never been confirmed. Humans are probably just as susceptible as pets, livestock, or wildlife but people naturally avoid contact with heavy waterblooms of cyanobacteria. In addition, there are no known vectors, like shellfish, to concentrate toxins from cyanobacteria into the human food chain. Susceptibility of humans to cyanobacteria toxins is supported mostly by indirect evidence. In many of these cases, however, if a more thorough epidemiological study had been possible these cases probably would have shown direct evidence for toxicity. 

Second, there has been another severe outbreak of paralytic shellfish poisoning along the Pacific coast of Central America, with veiy high levels of shellHsh toxicity detected in Guatemala. There have, however, been no deaths and very few illnesses reported there, due to a timely response based on information gained from detailed investigations of the first outbreak. This time they were ready. 

DMS Dimethylsulfide DMSP Dimethylsulfoniopropionate DSP Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning PSP Paralytic shellfish poisoning PUFA Polyunsaturated fatty acid... 

Some dinoflagellates of the genus Alexandrium produce neurotoxic compounds known as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins. Because these toxins can contaminate filter-feeding shellfish they may threaten public health and create economic problems for fisheries. PSP-toxins include at least a dozen saxitoxins, neosaxitoxins, and gonyautoxins (Scheme 1). 

Rapid-acting paralytic neurotoxins that blocks transient sodium channels and inhibits depolarization of nerve cells. They are some of the causative agents of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). They are obtained from dinoflagellates (Gonyaulax spp., Alexandrium spp.) and cyanobacteria (Anabaena circinalis). 

Due to false positives, zinc may confound interpretation of the paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) mouse bioassay, one of the routine tests used to measure shellfish safety for human consumption. For example, mice injected intraperitoneally with extracts of healthy oyster tissues showed extreme weakness, a drop in body temperature, cyanosis, and some deaths (McCulloch et al. 1989). The threshold for a toxic PSP response corresponds to a drained tissue zinc level >900 mg/kg FW, and this overlaps the zinc concentration range of 230 to 1650 mg/kg FW (1900 to 9400 mg/kg DW) recorded in healthy oyster soft tissues (McCulloch et al. 1989). 

Mayer, F.L., Jr., and M.R. Ellersieck. 1986. Manual of acute toxicity interpretation and data base for 410 chemicals and 66 species of freshwater animals. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Resour. Publ. 160. 579 pp. McCulloch, A.W., R.K. Boyd, A.S.W. de Freitas, R.A. Foxall, W.D. Jamieson, M.V. Laycock, M.A. Quilliam, J.C. Wright, V.J. Boyko, J.W. McLaren, M.R. Miedema, R. Pocklington, E. Arsenault, and D.J.A. Richard. 1989. Zinc from oyster tissue as causative factor in mouse deaths in official bioassay for paralytic shellfish poisoning. Jour. Assoc. Offic. Anal. Chem. 72 384-386. 

Negri AP, Jones GJ, Blackburn SI, Oshima Y, Onodera H (1997) Effect of culture and bloom development and of sample storage on paralytic shellfish poisons in the cyanobacterium... 

Acres, J. and Gray, J., Paralytic shellfish poisoning, CMAJ, 119, 1195, 1978. 

Anderson, D., Paralytic shellfish poisoning in northwest Spain the toxicity of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum, Toxicon, 27, 6, 665, 1989. 

Gessner, B.D. and Schloss, M., A population-based study of paralytic shellfish poisoning in Alaska, Alaska Med., 38, 2, 54, 1996. 

Jellett, J.F., et al.. Detection of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in shellfish tissue using MIST Alert, a new rapid test, in parallel with the regulatory AOAC mouse bioassay, Toxicon, 40, 10, 1407, 2002. 

---