Elsevier

Toxicon

Volume 12, Issue 3, May 1974, Pages 223-229
Toxicon

Sea wasp (Chironex fleckeri) antivenene: Neutralizing potency against the venom of three other jellyfish species

https://doi.org/10.1016/0041-0101(74)90062-2Get rights and content

Abstract

Neutralization of the lethal, haemolytic and dermonecrotic effects of the venom of the cubomedusan jellyfish Chiropsalmus quadrigatus by antivenenes prepared against the milked venom of Chironex fleckeri was studied. In vitro neutralization of all three properties was obtained, and passive immunization of mice with the antivenene reduced dermonecrosis but did not protect against the lethal effect. Whole tentacle extracts of Chironex fleckeri and of an unidentified tropical cubomedusan, which may contain additional toxins from the tentacle substances, were neutralized by the antivenene. It is concluded that the antivenene would be useful for treatment of envenomation by either of the related cubomedusan species dangerous to man. Venoms of two other jellyfish species, Physalia physalis and Chrysaora quinquecirrha, which have toxic effects similar in some respects to the box jellyfish, were not neutralized by the antivenene.

References (11)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (26)

  • The pathology of Chironex fleckeri venom and known biological mechanisms

    2020, Toxicon: X
    Citation Excerpt :

    It was hoped that treatment with antivenom would prevent effects seen in severe envenomation by neutralising causative toxins in the venom. The Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL) first produced C. fleckeri antivenom in the 1970s using hyper-immunized sheep (Baxter and Marr, 1974; Currie and Jacups, 2005) and continue to produce antivenom. However, C. fleckeri antivenom efficacy has been called into question through data from animals and patients (Currie, 2003; Currie and Jacups, 2005; Endean and Sizemore, 1988; Konstantakopoulos et al., 2009; Ramasamy et al., 2003; Winter et al., 2007, 2009).

  • A pharmacological investigation of the venom extract of the Australian box jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri, in cardiac and vascular tissues

    2012, Toxicology Letters
    Citation Excerpt :

    They demonstrated that this venom is an allosteric modulator of such channels, suggesting that sensory nerve toxicity may also contribute to the pathogenesis of this envenomation. Box jellyfish antivenom has been produced since 1971 and is indicated for use after a serious box jellyfish envenomation where there is risk of cardiovascular collapse (Baxter and Marr, 1969, 1974; Winkel et al., 2003). Although antivenom use is associated with survival, there is still much debate surrounding its efficacy (Bailey et al., 2003; Ramasamy et al., 2004).

  • Biochemical and molecular characterisation of cubozoan protein toxins

    2009, Toxicon
    Citation Excerpt :

    Biochemical characterisation of cubozoan venom proteins is further complicated by issues such as inaccurate identification of box jellyfish species and intra-species variations in venom composition. For example, biochemical studies were undertaken on an Australasian box jellyfish, which at the time of the experiments was reported as C. quadrigatus (e.g. Keen, 1971; Freeman and Turner, 1972; Baxter and Marr, 1974), but is now known as a new species within a different genus (C. bronzie; Gershwin, 2006). In terms of intra-species variations, recent studies using nematocysts isolated from the bell and tentacles of C. barnesi revealed that the protein profile of bell nematocyst venom differed from that of tentacle nematocyst venom (Underwood and Seymour, 2007).

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text