Toxicological effects of marine palytoxin evaluated by FETAX assay.

The FETAX (frog embryo teratogenesis assay Xenopus) is considered a useful bioassay to detect health hazard substances. In the study of the marine toxin palytoxin (PTX), FETAX has revealed evident impacts on embryo mortality, teratogenesis and growth at the two highest (370 and 37nM) concentrations used. Significant mortality rates, peaks in the number of malformed embryos and delays in growth were found, while the total sample number fell by about 80% at the end of the assay with the concentrated dose. The histological analysis to evaluate the morpho-functional induced modifications demonstrated damage to the nervous and muscle tissue, a general reduction in the size of the main inner visceral organs and severe injury to the heart structure in some specimens. No inflammatory response was observed.