When temperatures begin to rise, algae rapidly grow along the American coastline. This phenomenon is called an algal bloom, with most blooms providing the food needed for the ocean’s ecosystem. However, a harmful algal bloom—more commonly referred to as “red tides“—produces saxitoxin, a neurotoxin that can accumulate in shellfish for several weeks, sometimes up to a year, and is impossible to cook out.
This accumulation can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), where consumption within 30 minutes can lead to symptoms such as nausea, high blood pressure, numbness, loss of control in arms and legs, and difficulty breathing. If enough toxins are consumed, muscles in the chest and abdomen paralyze, leading to suffocation. Around 2,000 people are affected by PSP each year, with 8.5% of cases being fatal.
This disease has been prevalent since the Cold War and is considered a chemical weapon under international law, with treatment for the most severe cases requiring breathing assistance via machine. There has been no known cure.
Until now.
Daniel L. Minor, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, recently led a study about a potential antidote against PSP. In his study, 13 mice were injected with saxitoxin, and within three minutes, the mice experienced paralysis and died.
When 10 more mice were injected, a new factor was introduced: The American Bullfrog. More specifically, a protein found in the American Bullfrog called saxiphilin. When injected with the protein before, during, or after the dose of saxitoxin, nine out of 10 mice avoided symptoms completely.
When ingested, saxitoxin blocks sodium ion channels, the protein responsible for nerve cell communication, including the electric signals that allow muscles to contract.
Inspection of the mice’s organs revealed that saxiphilin accumulates most in the kidneys, with some in the heart, liver, brain, and skeletal muscle. Minor explained, “The saxiphilin is able to scoop up the toxin, keeping it from getting to the ion channels, and then transport it out so it can either be destroyed or excreted.”
Further studies are needed to ensure that the amphibian protein is safe for humans, as well as testing as an additional cure to more extreme variations of saxitoxin and developing methods to administer it. However, with the temperatures rising each passing year, more shellfish are prone to consuming a large amount of saxitoxin. But thanks to Minor’s studies, there’s now a good chance that your seafood boil will be completely free from PSP.
