Pharmacologically distinct cardiovascular effects of box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) venom and a tentacle-only extract in rats

Abstract

Using a recently developed technique to extract jellyfish venom from nematocysts, the present study investigated the in vivo cardiovascular effects of Chironex fleckeri venom and tentacle extract (devoid of nematocysts). In anaesthetised rats, venom (10 μg/kg, i.v.) produced a transient pressor response (23 ± 4 mmHg) followed, in two of five animals, by cardiovascular collapse. Tentacle extract (100 μg/kg, i.v.) produced a more prolonged hypertensive effect (31 ± 3 mmHg) without cardiovascular collapse. Prazosin (50 μg/kg, i.v.) did not have any significant effect on the cardiovascular effects produced by venom. However, prazosin significantly attenuated the pressor response produced by tentacle extract. Ketanserin (1 mg/kg, i.v.) did not have any significant effect on the cardiovascular response of the anaesthetised rat to venom (10 μg/kg, i.v.; 25 ± 1 mmHg). Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was performed to compare the two jellyfish samples used in the present study. In addition to ensuring reproducibility of future studies and allow comparison with previous research. We show, for the first time, that a pure venom sample extracted from C. fleckeri nematocysts and a tentacle extract have cardiovascular effects in the anaesthetised rat which are different and pharmacologically distinct.