palytoxin and Intestinal-Diseases

The effects of palytoxin on young male ICR mice were compared with the combined effects of palytoxin and ouabain or those of several cations as well as the effects of potassium. The target organs of palytoxin were the heart, kidney, pancreas, small intestine and liver. Pathomorphological changes of the heart induced by palytoxin were similar those of a lethal dose of KC1. However, the KC1-treated animals did not show any changes in the kidney. Mice given ouabain at doses up to 5 mg/kg also showed similar injuries in proximal as well as distal convoluted urinary tubules, while the heart of mice given ouabain at the same doses showed no discernible morphological changes. Ouabain 5 mg/kg did not influence the severity of injuries both in the heart and kidney induced by palytoxin at 4 micrograms/kg. Therefore, it may be assumed that palytoxin poisoning is a symptom-complex of hyperkalemia and causes a profound inhibition of Na+, K(+)-ATPase.

Topics: Acrylamides; Animals; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Cnidarian Venoms; Heart Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Intestine, Small; Kidney; Kidney Diseases; Liver; Liver Diseases; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Microscopy, Electron; Myocardium; Ouabain; Pancreas; Pancreatic Diseases; Philippines; Potassium Chloride; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase