Multiple organ damage caused by a new toxin azaspiracid, isolated from mussels produced in Ireland

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) Vol. 38; no. 7; pp. 917 - 930
• Main Authors: Ito, Emiko, Satake, Masayuki, Ofuji, Katsuya, Kurita, Nobuyuki, McMahon, Terry, James, Kevin, Yasumoto, Takeshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2000; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Animals; azaspiracid; B-lymphocytes; Biological and medical sciences; Bivalvia - chemistry; contamination; cytoplasmic inclusions; cytotoxicity; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Eire; fat droplets; Foodborne Diseases - etiology; Foodborne Diseases - physiopathology; histopathology; Intestines - drug effects; Intestines - pathology; Ireland; liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - pathology; Male; Marine; Marine Toxins - isolation & purification; Marine Toxins - toxicity; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Mollusca; mussels; Mytilidae; Mytilus edulis; necrosis; Netherlands; Okadaic Acid - toxicity; Peyer's patches; Plant poisons toxicology; Shellfish Poisoning; Spiro Compounds - isolation & purification; Spiro Compounds - toxicity; spleen; Spleen - drug effects; Spleen - pathology; T-lymphocytes; thymus gland; toxicity; Toxicology; toxins; villi; Irish Republic; Europe; Ireland; ANE, Eire; ANE, Netherlands; Shellfish; Mussel; Molecular structure; Toxicity; Liver; Necrosis; Bivalvia; Ultrastructure; T-Lymphocyte; Food; Rodentia; Gut; Oral administration; Lymphoid tissue; Contamination; In vivo; Toxin; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Food poisoning; Digestive diseases; Okadaic acid; Invertebrata; Mollusca; Comparative study; Structural analysis
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/S0041-0101(99)00203-2

A new type of food poisoning resulting from ingestion of mussels produced in Ireland occurred in the Netherlands in 1995 and then reoccurred in Ireland in 1997. As the causative agent, azaspiracid, was isolated in pure form and revealed to have a structure entirely unlike other known algal toxins, in vivo studies with mice were carried out to elucidate the pathological injuries caused by the toxin. By per os administration, the toxin caused necrosis in the lamina propria of the small intestine and in lymphoid tissues such as thymus, spleen and the Peyer’s patches. Both T and B lymphocytes were injured. Additionally a fatty change was observed in the liver. These injuries distinctly differed from those caused by the representative diarrhetic shellfish toxin, okadaic acid.