title: Interaction of microcystin-LR with SuperChar: water decontamination and therapy.
abstract: Activated charcoal (SuperChar) has been recommended for therapeutic use against poisoning by several toxic agents, but it has not been tested against microcystin-LR toxicosis. Microcystin-LR, a cyclic heptapeptide isolated from fresh water blue-green algae, has been shown to be a potent hepatotoxin in animals and in man. Studies were performed to determine the degree of in vitro adsorption of microcystin-LR to SuperChar and to assess the efficacy of SuperChar as a therapeutic agent against microcystin-LR in vivo. Scatchard analysis of the in vitro data showed that microcystin-LR bound to SuperChar with a maximum binding capacity of 0.692 mM toxin/g SuperChar with a dissociation constant of 0.016 mM. The adsorption characteristics of microcystin-LR by SuperChar was applied successfully to the decontamination of water samples spiked with microcystin-LR. While an oral (po) dose of toxin mixed with SuperChar (0.31-0.36 g/kg) modulated the toxicity, an oral pretreatment with SuperChar did not prevent lethality induced by an oral or intraperitoneal (ip) dose of microcystin-LR in mice.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathophysiology, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21701-5011.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Mereish
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Solow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002606:Charcoal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000032:analysis; D004340:Drug Contamination; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008387:Marine Toxins; D051379:Mice; D052998:Microcystins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D010939:Plant Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D014873:Water Pollutants; D002606:Charcoal; C057862:cyanoginosin LR