title: Contractile and relaxant effects of jellyfish toxin on the vascular and intestinal tissues.
abstract: A toxic component (pCrTX) of jellyfish Carybdea rastonii (10(-8)-10(-6)g/ml) caused a contraction in both rat aorta and guinea-pig taenia coli which was partially inhibited by indomethacin or aspirin. pCrTX (10(-7)-10(-6)g/ml) relaxed the norepinephrine-induced contraction in rat aorta which was inhibited by removing endothelium or by adding methylene blue. These results suggest that a portion of the pCrTX-induced contraction is due to release of prostaglandin(s) and that the pCrTX-induced relaxation is due to release of an endothelium-derived relaxing factor.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003063:Cnidaria / Q000502:physiology*; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D004727:Endothelium / Q000502:physiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D014666:Vasomotor System / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003064:Cnidarian Venoms; D011453:Prostaglandins; D001241:Aspirin; D007213:Indomethacin