Bleeding from the small intestine caused by aplysiatoxin, the causative agent of the red alga Gracilaria coronopifolia poisoning

Abstract

The cause of death by aplysiatoxin poisoning was bleeding from the small intestine in mice. The pathological changes related to the cause and progression of bleeding were studied morphologically. Bleeding from the capillaries was observed 60 min after i.p. treatment at 250 μg/kg, and this was preceded by dilatation of the lymphatic vessel and congestion of capillaries in the lamina propria from 10 min after the injection. At 100 μg/kg i.v., the target vessels were in the lung, where fibrin deposition was observed in the dilated pulmonary artery, and blood flowed out through a gap in the artery. Then, in the small intestine, similar changes appeared to have occurred, and bleeding was induced in two characteristic ways, one through deposition of fibrin in the lumen and the other via distension of the capillary wall.