Puffer poisoning

Noguchi T and Ebesu JSM (2001) Puffer poisoning Epidemiology and treatment. Journal of Toxicology Toxin Reviews 20 1-10. 

Tsunenari S, Uchknura Y, Kanda M. Puffer poisoning in Japan—a case report. J Forensic Sci 25 240-245, 1980. 

Puffer poisoning occurs when people always intentionally consume toxic specimen or its tissues. In many cases, the consumers cannot differentiate the toxic puffer species, the strong toxic parts of puffer, and other TTX-bearing animals (toxic gobies, gastropods, crabs, horseshoe crabs, and so on). Hence, TTX-associated poisoning incidents do not minimize or prevent. 

Records of puffer poisoning have been described in the ancient literature from various parts of the world, particularly in Japan and China (Halstead, 1965 Kainuma and Baba, 1984). In Japan, the oldest record of puffer poisoning is found in Nara and Heian eras (800 AD). 

This chapter on TTX poisoning begins with a brief description to puffer poisoning and then elucidates the origin, toxicology, chemistry, and pharmacology of TTX. The identification methods of puffer species are also... 

Fukuda, T. and Tani, 1. 1941. Records of puffer poisonings, report 3. Nippon Igaku Oyobi Kenko... 

Other Lethal Agents. There are a number of substances, many found in nature, which are known to be more toxic than nerve agents (6). None has been weaponized. Examples of these toxic natural products include shellfish poison, isolated from toxic clams puffer fish poison, isolated from the viscera of the puffer fish the active principle of curare "heart poisons" of the digitaUs type the active principle of the sea cucumber active principles of snake venom and the protein ricin, obtained from castor beans (See Castor oil). 

Public materials standards, 25 743 Public, protection of, 22 827-828 Public sanitation, soap and, 22 755, 756 Public sector aquaculture, 3 182-183 Public Utilities Commission, 6 828 Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), 22 533-534 PUC19 plasmid vector, 22 501, 502 Puccinnia chondrillina, 13 347 Puffer fish poison, 5 822 Puffing, 22 722, 740... 

Kanchanapongkul, J. and Tantraphon, W., Pelagic paralysis from puffer fish poisoning, J. Med. Assoc. Thai., 76, 5, 285, 1993. 

Pioneering studies were made to determine the structure of tetrodotoxin 1, one of the most toxic compounds among the low-molecular-weight poisons, found in the ovaries and liver of puffer fish, which is a highly esteemed delicacy in Japan. With a combination of the most versatile instrumental facilities, the complex perhydroquinazoline structure of 1 was established (65T2059) in the early 1960s. 

The puffer fish is probably the best known neurotoxic fish. Several related species of fish, as well as other marine life, such as some frogs, starfish, octopus, and others, contain tetrodotoxin. Many people consider this fish a delicacy despite the occasional death from poor preparation. Tetrodotoxin is heat stable but water soluble, so careful preparation is necessary to limit neurological effects. Symptoms of poisoning include a rapid onset of numbness in the lips and mouth, which then extends to the fingers and toes, followed by general weakness, dizziness, and respiratory failure, leading to death. The mechanism of action is similar to that of saxitoxin and affects sodium channel permeability. 

A variety of toxins that modulate voltage-gated sodium channels have been used to probe channel function. They can be classified on the basis of five discrete binding sites (Table 1). These binding sites are commonly found on all a-subunits and are being characterized at the molecular level. The sensitivity to the puffer fish poison tetrodotoxin (TTX) has been used to subdivide voltage-gated sodium channels (Table 3). 

Tetrodotoxin, an extremely poisonous heterocycle present in Japanese puffer fish (various species of Spheroides), exerts its action by blocking the sodium ion channels in the peripheral nervous system. Chemically it has an adamantane-like structure, namely octahydro-12 - (hydroxymethyl) - 2 - imino-5,7,9,1 Oa-dimethano- 10aH-[ 1,3] -dioxo-cino-[6,5-d]pyrimidine-4,7,10,11,12-pentol. When chemically dehydrated, it rehydrates in dilute acid.73 Methanol, and ammonia, can add similarly. Because 2-amino-1,6-dihydropyrimidine forms the central part... 

Many fish species, over 700 species worldwide, are either directly toxic or upon ingestion are poisonous to humans. A classic example is the toxin produced by the puffer fishes (Sphaeroides spp.) called tetrodotoxin (TTX). Tetrodotoxin is concentrated in the gonads, liver, intestine, and skin, and poisonings occurs most frequently in Japan and other Asian countries where the flesh, considered a delicacy, is eaten as fugu. Death occurs within 5 to 30 minutes and the fatality rate is about 60%. TTX is an inhibitor of the voltage-sensitive Na channel (like saxitoxin) it may also be found in some salamanders and may be bacterial in origin. 

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