Abstract
Domoic acid (DA) is one of the best known marine toxins, causative of important neurotoxic alterations. DA effects are documented both in wildlife and experimental assays, showing that this toxin causes severe injuries principally in the hippocampal area. In the present study we have addressed the long-term toxicological effects (30 days) of DA intraperitoneal administration in rats. Different histological techniques were employed in order to study DA toxicity in heart, an organ which has not been thoroughly studied after DA intoxication to date. The presence of DA was detected by immunohistochemical assays, and cellular alterations were observed both by optical and transmission electron microscopy. Although histological staining methods did not provide any observable tissue damage, transmission electron microscopy showed several injuries: a moderate lysis of myofibrils and loss of mitochondrial conformation. This is the first time the association between heart damage and the presence of the toxin has been observed.
Highlights
Domoic acid (DA) is produced by diatoms, microscopic algae characterized by the presence of a cell wall made of hydrated silicon dioxide named frustule [1,2]
High-performance liquid chromatography-Ultraviolet/Visible (HPLC-UV) analysis revealed no significant differences between the expected and the actual quantity of DA provided by the supplier laboratory, guaranteeing that the dose administered was 2.5 mg/kg in all the cases
The reasons are that rats are more sensible to tests, such as the DA toxicological studies
Summary
Domoic acid (DA) is produced by diatoms, microscopic algae characterized by the presence of a cell wall made of hydrated silicon dioxide named frustule [1,2]. Diatoms species belong to a group of microorganisms able to produce marine toxins (phycotoxins), responsible for the appearance of harmful algal blooms [3,4]. When DA is present at high concentrations in diatoms, this toxin can be bio-accumulated in shellfish and finfish, causing the poisoning of seabirds, marine mammals or humans [5]. The symptomatology comprised three kinds of signs: gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea), cardiovascular (unstable blood pressure and arrhythmias), and neurological signs (disorientation, confusion, headaches, hallucinations, coma, seizures and memory impairment) [6,7,8]. Memory impairment led to the denomination of this condition as amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) [6,7,8]
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