title: Tetrodotoxin-unaffected depolarization of frog muscles induced by the venom of jellyfish (Genus aurelia).
abstract: In the isolated frog muscle, the proteinaceous venom extracted from jellyfish (genus Aurelia) produced 1) a complete and irreversible block of indirectly and directly elicited muscle twitch and 2) an irreversible depolarization of the muscle membrane. This venom-induced depolarization was effectively reversed or prevented by the substitution of choline for sodium in Ringer solution, but not by the introduction of tetrodotoxin (TTX), a sodium channel blocker. The mechanism of muscle membrane depolarization appears to involve probably an increase in membrane permeability to sodium ion as shown by the decrease in membrane resistance. These results suggest that the venom forms a pore which has sodium selectivity or activates a TTX-insensitive sodium channel which is different from the known sodium channel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anraku
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hashimura
mesh_terms: D000631:Aminopyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects*; D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; D009529:Nicardipine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011892:Rana catesbeiana; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000631:Aminopyridines; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms; D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D012964:Sodium; D009529:Nicardipine