Tetrodotoxin: a potent marine toxin

Abstract

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a neurotoxin found in puffer fish and other marine animals. This toxin is predominantly isolated from the skin, viscera, ovaries, and liver of the puffer fish. The toxin is produced by various species of bacteria, and TTX-bearing animals may have absorbed and accumulated it through the food chain. TTX is widely used in many laboratories as an important pharmacological reagent because of its ability to selectively block the sodium channels on the nerve membrane. No antidote is available for clinical use. The mainstay of treatment is careful observation and serial neurological assessment to monitor the progression of the clinical effects so that respiratory failure or cardiac effects are appropriately treated.

Keywords::

• Tetrodotoxin
• neurotoxin
• clinical effects
• puffer fish poisoning
• treatment

Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to Pr Hafedh Bejaoui, Teacher of English in the Sciences Faculty of Sfax, Tunisia, for her constructive proofreading of the manuscript. This work was supported by the DGRST grants 09/UR/06 in Tunisia and the collaboration with the Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology and Biodiversity, INSTM of Sfax, Tunisia.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.