[Acute toxicity of microcystin-LR in BALB/c mice].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate acute toxicity of microcystin-LR in BALB/c mice.


METHODS
BALB/c mice were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of microcystin-LR at the half lethal dose (LD50) and 1/2 LD50, and the organ weight indices and various biochemical indices were determined 30 min and 4 h after the treatment, respectively.


RESULTS
Significant increase in liver or kidney weight index occurred in the treated mice, indicating hemorrhagic conditions of the two organs. A slight increase in serum levels of aspartate amino transferase and alanine aminotransferase was observed along with an obvious decrease in serum urea levels, suggesting liver damage. The increase of serum uric acid also indicated the presence of kidney damage.


CONCLUSIONS
The kidney may be another target of microcystins besides the liver.
Lei
La-mei
LM
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan 430072, China. amei_100@sina.com
Song
Li-rong
LR
D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000633:toxicity; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D052998:Microcystins / Q000633:toxicity*
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins; C057862:cyanoginosin LR