Becerra-Amezcua Mayra P, Guerrero-Legarreta Isabel, González-Márquez Humberto, Guzmán-García Xochitl
Posgrado en Biología Experimental, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, San Rafael Atlixco 186, Vicentina, Iztapalapa, D.F., Mexico.
Departamento de Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Iztapalapa, San Rafael Atlixco 186, Vicentina, Iztapalapa, D.F., Mexico.
Toxicon. 2016 Apr;113:49-54. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.02.008. Epub 2016 Feb 11.
The jellyfishes of the genus Chrysaora are present in all of the world's oceans, but the toxicity of their venoms has not yet been thoroughly characterized. The zebrafish as a toxicology model can be used for general toxicity testing of drugs and the investigation of toxicological mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of crude venom from jellyfish Chrysaora sp., a species of jellyfish observed in the tropical lagoons of the Gulf of Mexico, on the zebrafish Danio rerio. Juvenile zebrafish were injected with different concentrations of venom from Chrysaora sp. via intraperitoneal and subcutaneous injections. The effects of the venom were determined by histopathological analysis and through the measurement of hemolytic and phospholipase A2 activities. The crude venom was examined by SDS-PAGE. The effect of sublethal concentrations of crude venom from Chrysaora sp. on D. rerio was hemorrhaging in the eyes, while the histopathological analysis demonstrated that the primary organs targeted were the pseudobranch, which displayed hyperemia, and the gill, which displayed hyperplasia and hypertrophy. The blood analysis exhibited hemolysis, nuclear abnormalities, and echinocytes by the action of phospholipase A2, which was determined to have 596 units of activity/mg of protein in the venom. The crude venom has proteins with molecular weights ranging from 250 to 6 kDa, with more density in the bands corresponding to 70, 20 and 15 kDa. The venom of Chysaora sp. caused disturbances in circulation associated with vascular dilation due to the localized release of inflammatory mediators. The hemolysis of erythrocytes was caused by the action of phospholipase A2. These findings not only provide an excellent study model but also have a great pharmacological potential for designing new drugs and for the elucidation of the mechanisms of action of and treatment against stings.
金黄水母属的水母分布于世界各大洋，但其毒液的毒性尚未得到充分表征。斑马鱼作为一种毒理学模型，可用于药物的一般毒性测试和毒理学机制的研究。本研究的目的是评估从在墨西哥湾热带泻湖观察到的一种金黄水母（Chrysaora sp.）提取的粗毒液对斑马鱼（Danio rerio）的影响。通过腹腔注射和皮下注射，给幼年斑马鱼注射不同浓度的Chrysaora sp.毒液。通过组织病理学分析以及溶血和磷脂酶A2活性的测定来确定毒液的作用。通过SDS-PAGE对粗毒液进行检测。Chrysaora sp.粗毒液的亚致死浓度对斑马鱼的影响表现为眼睛出血，而组织病理学分析表明，主要受影响的器官是出现充血的伪鳃和出现增生及肥大的鳃。血液分析显示，由于磷脂酶A2的作用，出现了溶血、核异常和棘红细胞，经测定该毒液中磷脂酶A2的活性为596单位/毫克蛋白质。粗毒液中的蛋白质分子量范围为250至6 kDa，在对应于70、20和15 kDa的条带中密度更高。Chrysaora sp.的毒液由于炎症介质的局部释放导致与血管扩张相关的循环紊乱。红细胞的溶血是由磷脂酶A2的作用引起的。这些发现不仅提供了一个出色的研究模型，而且在设计新药以及阐明蜇伤的作用机制和治疗方法方面具有巨大的药理学潜力。
