title: Conus magus vs. Irukandji syndrome: a computational approach of a possible new therapy.
abstract: The Irukandji syndrome is caused by the sting of some small jellyfish species. The syndrome has severe life-threatening consequences. The exacerbating pain and cardiovascular symptoms (tachycardia and hypertension) are hard to control in many cases. We suggest a way to experiment a new possible therapy with an FDA approved analgesic, ziconotide, a synthetic derivative from a marine cone snail (Conus magus) venom component, which is administrated intravenously. The proposed experimental plasma concentration of ziconotide for rats is in the range of 0-6μgml(-1). Based on a molecular biological scenario of the venom action mechanism at cellular level, we suggest that the proposed method should be functional in re-establishing the normal cardiovascular parameters of the experimental animals and concomitantly it should abolish the severe pain caused by envenomation. We expect that positive experimental results in agreement with our theory will lead to the possibility of a new therapy for the Irukandji syndrome and possibly for other envenomations with similar ethyology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania. csandras@mail.bme.hu
authors.forename: Csaba D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: András
authors.forename: Csilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: Szidónia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salamon
authors.forename: Judit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gálicza
authors.forename: Réka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: András
authors.forename: Emil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: András
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001810:Blood Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008978:Mollusk Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D020960:omega-Conotoxins / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D003064:Cnidarian Venoms; D008978:Mollusk Venoms; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D019831:Sodium-Calcium Exchanger; D020960:omega-Conotoxins; C110374:sodium-calcium exchanger 1; C078452:ziconotide