[Toxicity of tetrodotoxin towards mice and rabbits].

Abstract

The toxicity of tetrodotoxin(TTX) in Kunming mice and rabbits was investigated in this study. The median lethal doses (LD50) were 10.7, 12.5, 532 micrograms/kg for intraperitoneal (i.p.), subcutaneous (s.c.) and intragastric (ig) administration of toxin respectively in mice and, it was found that the male mice was more sensitive to TTX than the female was. TTX toxic doses for both intramuscular (i.m.) and intravenous (i.v.) administration via injection in rabbits were reported first time and the minimal lethal doses(MLD) were 5.3, 3.1 micrograms/kg and wholly lethal doses(LD) were 5.8, 3.8 micrograms/kg for i.m. and i.v. injection respectively. TTX-intoxication symptoms and characteristics were described in both animal species and in different administrations of toxin. TTX was found to be about fifty times less toxic and to have more delayed death occurrence to mice via oral route than that via i.p. injection, providing, more likely, a favorable potential for the cure of actual TTX-poisoning victims.