title: Biomonitoring brevetoxin exposure in mammals using blood collection cards.
abstract: A method has been tested in laboratory mice to monitor for the presence of brevetoxins in blood after exposure. The use of blood collection cards is an adaptation of a method employed for routine diagnostic and genetic testing of newborns. Blood is collected and applied to a 0.5-inch diameter circle on a specially prepared blood collection card and allowed to dry. The blood spots are then extracted and the presence of toxin activity is first screened using a high throughput receptor binding assay. Positive samples are then examined for specific brevetoxin congeners by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Preliminary experiments tested the efficiency and linearity of toxin extraction from blood spiked with brevetoxin-3 (PbTx-3). Blood from treated mice was tested for the presence of brevetoxin at different times following exposure to a sublethal dose (180 microg/kg PbTx-3). Brevetoxin activity determined by receptor assay increased to 25 +/- 7.4 nM PbTx-3 equivalents within 4 hr after exposure and was still detectable in three of four animals 24 hr after exposure. Tandem mass spectrometry provided confirmation of PbTx-3, which also increased for the time points between 0.5 and 4.0 hr exposure. However, PbTx-3 was not detected at 24 hr, which suggested the formation of a biologically active metabolite. We anticipate that this approach will provide a method to biomonitor brevetoxins in living marine resources (e.g., finfish), protected species, and humans.
authors.affiliation: Marine Biotoxins Program, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Ocean Service, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Fairey
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Shuart
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busman
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ramsdell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005399:Fishes; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000097:blood*; D051379:Mice; D035964:Oxocins; D013048:Specimen Handling; D000095702:Polyether Toxins
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D035964:Oxocins; C053342:brevetoxin; D000095702:Polyether Toxins