Effects of palytoxin on sodium and potassium permeabilities in unmyelinated axons.

Palytoxin (PTX) is a very potent marine toxin isolated from the Zoanthid Palythoa. Its effects on the nerve membrane have been studied on two different preparations: the giant axon of the Cockroach, Periplaneta americana and the giant axon of the Squids, Loligo pealei and Loligo forbesi. In both preparations, PTX at concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 10 microM depolarized the axonal membrane through a selective increase in the resting sodium conductance. This increase was never reversible and was only temporarily and partly antagonized by tetrodotoxin (TTX) at concentrations which block completely the voltage-dependent sodium conductance. A voltage-clamp analysis of these effects showed that, besides this increase, PTX induced complex modifications of the voltage-dependent ionic conductances and increased the leak conductance. The selectivity of the PTX induced sodium channels seemed to decrease with time. Altogether, the results indicate that PTX induces strong and irreversible modifications of the membrane structure.