Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate toxic actions of gonyautoxins (GTXs), the major component of paralytic shellfish poison in Japan, on cardiovascular function and to compare the actions with those of tetrodotoxin (TTX). Circulatory effects of these toxins were assessed by means of electrocardiogram (ECG) and arterial pressure (AP) measurements in anesthetized intact rabbits. The ECG was measured with A-B lead and AP was measured in the aortic arch with a catheter-transducer system. The intravenous administration of GTXs or TTX produced hypotension. The latency of the hypotension due to GTXs was shorter than that due to TTX. In the ECG, GTXs induced sinus tachycardia, atrioventricular and intraventricular conduction defects which were prone to initiate paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia, fibrillation and flutter at large doses, while TTX caused sinus bradycardia and atrioventricular block only. However, the cardiovascular actions of GTXs were more transient than those of TTX.
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