Toxic effects of Karenia mikimotoi extracts on mammalian cells

• Published in: Chinese journal of oceanology and limnology Vol. 29; no. 4; pp. 860 - 868
• Main Author: 陈洋 颜天 于仁成 周名江
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg SP Science Press 01.07.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Algae; Annexin; Annexin V; Blooms; Cancer; Cell membranes; Cell proliferation; Cells; Cytology; Dinoflagellates; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Fish; Food chains; Food webs; Karenia mikimotoi; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids; Malondialdehyde; Mammalian cells; Mammals; Marine; Membranes; Morphology; Oceanography; Peroxidation; Proliferation; Red tide; Red tides; Species and Species-Specific Patterns and Responses; Temperate zones; Toxicity; Toxins; Tumor cell lines; 中国南海; 哺乳动物细胞; 提取; 毒性作用; 毒性机制; 海洋食物链; 藻毒素; South China Sea; ISEW, South China Sea; INW, Donghai Sea; mammalian cells; super-oxidation
• ISSN: 0254-4059; 2096-5508; 1993-5005; 2523-3521
• DOI: 10.1007/s00343-011-0514-8

Karenia is one of the most harmful and representative red tide genus in a temperate zone. Blooms caused by this genus have resulted in massive fish death in the South China Sea and the East China Sea. However, the potential effects of this dinoflagellate on human health through the transfer of toxins via marine food webs, and the mechanisms of toxicity, are still unknown. Therefore, we examined the toxic effects of a strain of K. mikimotoi （isolated from the South China Sea） on the proliferation and morphology of four mammalian cell lines （two normal cell lines and two cancer cell lines）. In addition, we carried out a preliminary investigation on the mechanism of toxicity of the alga. The results show that the polar lipid-soluble component ofK. mikimotoi significantly inhibited proliferation of the four cell lines, and resulted in the ceils becoming spherical, swollen and damaged. The result of Annexin V and PI double-staining confirmed that cell membranes were disrupted. The malonaldehyde （MDA） contents in the medium of the four cell lines treated with the polar-lipid extracts all increased significantly, which indicates that the polar-lipid toxins produced by K. rnikimotoi could adversely affect mammalian cells by inducing lipid peroxidation. We conclude that K. mikimotoi is a potential threat to human health, and the comprehensive effect of this dinoflagellate and its mechanisms should be investigated further.