H. Kobayashi et al., Toxicity of coelomic fluid of the earthworm Eisenia foetida to vertebratesbut not invertebrates: probable role of sphingomyelin, COMP BIOC C, 128(3), 2001, pp. 401-411
Citations number
22
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Pharmacology & Toxicology
Journal title
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY
The coelomic fluid (CF) of the earthworm Eisenia foetida exhibits a wide va
riety of biological activities. We found that the CF was not toxic to 32 sp
ecies, belonging to seven invertebrate phyla, almost all in aquatic adults
and larvae exposed to CF. Eleven teleostean species tested died in 0.2-1% C
F mostly between 10 and 120 min and the effects were dose-dependent. Tadpol
es of the toad Bufo japonicus formosus died in 0.4-2% CF between 80 and 225
min depending upon size, with larger tadpoles surviving longer. Before dyi
ng, all experimental tadpoles developed curled and shrunken tails. The Okin
awa tree lizard, soft-shelled turtle, Japanese quail, mouse and rat all die
d after i.v. injection of CF (above 20 mul/kg). Thus, CF was not toxic to i
nvertebrates, but toxic to vertebrates. After heating, CF lost its toxicity
to fish, tadpoles and mice. Both CF and lysenin incubated with sphingomyel
in-liposomes (SM-liposomes) were no longer toxic, suggesting the involvemen
t of SM in the toxicity. Lysenin, which is a constituent of CF and known to
bind specifically to sphingomyelin, exhibited toxicity similar to that of
CF. Thus, lysenin in CF is probably responsible for the toxic effects of CF
by binding to SM in vertebrate tissues. The bodies of invertebrates might
contain little or no SM, while those of vertebrates do contain SM. The coel
omic fluid of the earthworm Pheretima communissima has no toxicity to mouse
. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.