Abstract
The jellyfish species that inhabit the Mediterranean coastal waters are not lethal, but their stings can cause severe pain and systemic effects that pose a health risk to humans. Despite the frequent occurrence of jellyfish stings, currently no consensus exists among the scientific community regarding the most appropriate first-aid protocol. Over the years, several different rinse solutions have been proposed. Vinegar, or acetic acid, is one of the most established of these solutions, with efficacy data published. We investigated the effect of vinegar and seawater on the nematocyst discharge process in two species representative of the Mediterranean region: Pelagia noctiluca (Scyphozoa) and Carybdea marsupialis (Cubozoa), by means of (1) direct observation of nematocyst discharge on light microscopy (tentacle solution assay) and (2) quantification of hemolytic area (tentacle skin blood agarose assay). In both species, nematocyst discharge was not stimulated by seawater, which was classified as a neutral solution. In P. noctiluca, vinegar produced nematocyst discharge per se, but inhibited nematocyst discharge from C. marsupialis. These results suggest that the use of vinegar cannot be universally recommended. Whereas in case of a cubozoan C. marsupialis sting, the inhibitory effect of vinegar makes it the ideal rinse solution, in case of a scyphozoan P. noctiluca sting, vinegar application may be counterproductive, worsening the pain and discomfort of the stung area.
Highlights
The Cnidaria phylum is a diverse group with more than 16,000 species distributed non-homogeneously around the world [1,2]
We investigated the effect of vinegar and seawater on the nematocyst discharge process in two species representative of the Mediterranean region: Pelagia noctiluca (Scyphozoa) and Carybdea marsupialis (Cubozoa), by means of (1) direct observation of nematocyst discharge on light microscopy and (2) quantification of hemolytic area
To minimize the adverse effects from jellyfish stings, it is important to establish first-aid protocols based on scientific evidence and improve them to create species-specific protocols as required
Summary
The Cnidaria phylum is a diverse group with more than 16,000 species distributed non-homogeneously around the world [1,2]. All its members, including jellyfish, share a distinctive feature: the presence of venom-filled stinging cells termed cnidocytes [3]. From the Golgi apparatus, a subcellular-enclosed capsule, known as a cnidocyst, is formed with an everted tubule along with a mixture of toxins [3,4]. Cnidocysts are classified into three categories: nematocyst, spirocyst and ptychocyst [3,5]. While the spirocyst and ptychocyst categories include only one cnidocyst type, the nematocyst category is more diverse [3]. The capsule size and shape, the length and pattern of the tubule (including absence or presence of spines), differ over thirty nematocyst types [3,6]. Following a chemical or mechanic stimulus, a rapid discharge process begins inoculating the venom through the tubule [4,7]
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