Abstract
Toxic extracts of the blue-green alga Oscillatoria agardhii were tested for their effect on various isolated laboratory animal preparations. The Oscillatoria-toxins did not show hemagglutinative or hemolytical properties. An immediate rise in blood pressure was seen after intravenous injection in rats. As regards isolated organs, effects were most marked on the liver. Addition of toxic extract to isolated liver perfusion fluid led to physiological, biochemical and pathological changes indicating severe damage to the organ. Negative chronotropic and inotropic effects were found on the isolated heart. The toxins did not influence isolated smooth muscle or nerve striated muscle preparations.
Keywords: blue-green algae, hepatotoxins
Sammendrag
Toksiske ekstrakter av blågrønnalgen Oscillatoria agardhii ble undersøkt m. h. p. effekt på ulike isolerte laboratoriedyrpreparater. Oscillatoriatoksinet viste ikke hemagglutinerende eller hemolyserende egenskaper. En umiddelbar blodtrykksstigning ble sett etter intravenøs injeksjon på rotter. På isolerte organer fant en hovedsaklig effekt på leveren. Tilsetning av toksisk ekstrakt til leverperfusjonsløsningen ga fysiologiske, biokjemiske og patologiske forandringer som viste alvorlig skade på organet. På isolert hjerte fant en en negativ kronotrop og inotrop effekt. Toksinene virket ikke inn på isolert glatt muskel eller nerve-tverrstripet muskelpreparater.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.0 MB).
References
- Berg K., Søli N. E. Toxicity studies with the blue-green alga Oscillatoria agardhii from two eutrophic Norwegian lakes. Acta vet. scand. 1985;26:363–373. doi: 10.1186/BF03546536. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Carmichael W. W. Chemical and toxicological studies of the toxic freshwater cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa, Anabaena flosaquae and Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. S. Afr. J. Sci. 1982;78:367–372. [Google Scholar]
- Carmichael W. W., Bent P. E. Hemagglutination method for detection of freshwater cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) toxins. Appl. environ. Microbiol. 1981;41:1383–1388. doi: 10.1128/AEM.41.6.1383-1388.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Codd G. A. Toxins of freshwater cyanobacteria. Microbiol. Sci. 1984;1:48–52. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Grabow W. O. K., Du Randt W. C., Prozesky O. W., Scott W. E. Microcystis aeruginosa toxin: Cell culture toxicity, hemolysis, and mutagenicity assays. Appl. environ. Microbiol. 1982;43:1425–1433. doi: 10.1128/AEM.43.6.1425-1433.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Runnegar M. T. C., Falconer I. R. The in vivo and in vitro biological effects of the peptide hepatoxin from the blue-green alga Microcystis aeruginosa. S. Afr. J. Sci. 1982;78:363–366. [Google Scholar]
- Seglen P. O., Jervell K. F. A simple perfusion technique applied to glucocorticoid regulation of tryptophan oxygenase turnover and bile production in the isolated rat liver. Hoppe — Seylers Z. physiol. Chem. 1969;350:308–316. doi: 10.1515/bchm2.1969.350.1.308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Skulberg O. M., Codd G. A., Carmichael W. W. Toxic blue-green algal blooms in Europe: A growing problem. Ambio. 1984;13:244–247. [Google Scholar]
- Østensvik, Ø., O. M. Skulberg & N. E. Søli: Toxicity Studies with Rlue-green Algae from Norwegian Inland Waters. In: The Water Environment — Algal Toxins and Health. Ed. : W. W. Carmichael. Plenum Press, New York 1981, pp. 315–324.