Early developmental toxicity of saxitoxin on medaka (Oryzias melastigma) embryos

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) 2014-01, Vol.77, p.16-25
• Main Authors: Tian, Li, Cheng, Jinping, Chen, Xueping, Cheng, Shuk Han, Mak, Yim Ling, Lam, Paul Kwan Sing, Chan, Leo Lai, Wang, Mingfu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Body Weights and Measures; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Developmental toxicity; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Embryo, Nonmammalian - drug effects; Endocrine disruptor; Energy Metabolism - drug effects; Estrogen Antagonists - chemistry; Estrogen Antagonists - toxicity; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - drug effects; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Molecular Structure; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - drug effects; Oryzias; Paralytic shellfish poisoning; Proteomics; Saxitoxin; Saxitoxin - chemistry; Saxitoxin - toxicity
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.10.022

Saxitoxin (STX) is the most potent paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin in crustaceans and molluscs, and is known to cause intoxication to humans and marine animals due to its neurotoxicity. However, the extent of its early developmental toxicity to marine species remains unknown. In this study, we examined the early developmental toxicity of STX using marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) embryos as model. The medaka embryos were exposed to STX for four days, from the early blastula stage onwards, and this exposure period covered the main developmental stage of the central nervous system and somites. After exposure, the treated medaka eleutheroembryos at 15 day post fertilization exhibited abnormal growth with longer body length and relatively smaller yolk sac size. High cell proliferation, neuron development, and metabolism were confirmed using whole-mount immunostaining and two-dimensional electrophoresis. In summary, STX disturbed the normal growth of medaka embryos probably by affecting the metabolic rate in the exposed medaka embryos. [Display omitted] •Early developmental toxicity of saxitoxin was examined using marine medaka embryos.•Saxitoxin exposed embryos exhibited accelerated growth.•Up-regulated proteins in neural proliferation and metabolism showed after exposure.•Saxitoxin exhibited an anti-estrogenic activity.•Saxitoxin disturbed the normal growth probably by affecting the metabolic rate.