Respiratory Effects of Algal Toxins

Researchers seeking new drugs to treat the mucus build-up associated with cystic fibrosis and similar lung diseases have isolated a compound from the red tide alga Karenia brevis that has a powerful positive effect on the flow of mucus through the respiratory tract.

The red tide toxic algal blooms are caused by several genera of dinoflagellates, which turn the sea red and are frequently associated with deterioration in water quality. The color occurs as a result of the reaction of a red pigment, peridinin, to light during photosynthesis. These toxic algal blooms pose a serious threat to marine life and are potentially harmful to humans. In particular, particles containing toxins become aerosolized by the action of wind and waves and cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, lips, and tongue.

Investigators at Mount Sinai Medical Center (Miami, FL, USA) and University of North Carolina's Center for Marine Science (Wilmington, USA) studied compounds produced by K brevis in order to identify those affecting the respiratory tract. They found three active toxins and one compound, brevenal, which was shown to have a beneficial effect on the respiratory tract. Additionally, a synthetic compound, beta-naphthoyl-brevetoxin, was produced that worked in a similar fashion to brevenal.

"We found these compounds are able to speed up the clearance of mucus from the lungs,” said senior author Dr. Daniel Baden, director of the University of North Carolina's Center for Marine Science. "These compounds will serve as experimental models in the development of drug therapies for those who suffer from cystic fibrosis and other lung disorders characterized by excessive mucus secretion.”

These findings were published in the September 24, 2004, online edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.