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PARALYTIC EFFECTS OF “PARALYTIC SHELLFISH POISON” ON FROG NERVE AND MUSCLE
Author(s) -
EVANS M. H.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology and chemotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0366-0826
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1964.tb01702.x
Subject(s) - paralytic shellfish poisoning , saxitoxin , shellfish poisoning , electromyography , poison control , paralysis , medicine , anatomy , shellfish , biology , zoology , neuroscience , fishery , physical medicine and rehabilitation , medical emergency , aquatic animal , fish <actinopterygii> , surgery , toxin , biochemistry
A purified extract of toxic lamellibranchs, Saxidomus giganteus (Deshayes), containing “paralytic shellfish poison,” has been tested for its effects on conduction and contraction in frog nerve and muscle. The poison was very toxic and concentrations within the range 0.025 to 0.1 μg/ml. paralysed isolated muscle preparations, with abolition of the muscle action potential. The poison did not readily penetrate the perineurium, but in desheathed sciatic nerves the conduction of nerve impulses was rapidly blocked by concentrations of 0.05 to 0.1 μg/ml. There was no evidence that the poison had any specific curarizing action at the neuromuscular junction, and the paralysis was not accompanied by any appreciable depolarization of the muscle membrane.