Inhibitory Effect of Anti-Inflammatory Agents on Cutaneous Capillary Leakage Induced by Six Marine Venoms

Abstract

Anti-inflammatory agents were surveyed for their inhibitory effect on the cutaneous capillary leakage induced by venoms from the following six marine animals: the stonefish Synanceja verrucosa, the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci, the Portuguese man-of-war Physalia physalis, the sea anemone Actinodendron plumosum and two species of fire corals Millepora platyphylla and M. dichotoma. The capillary permeability-increasing action of A. planci and A. plumosum venoms was significantly reduced by H-1 antihistaminics, diphenhydramine and pyrilamine maleate, while none of the anti-inflammatory agents were effective for the other venoms. HPLC analyses established the absence of histamine in both A. planci and A. plumosum venoms. Instead, the A. planci venom was shown to release histamine from rat mast cells. Thus, the following pathogenic mechanism was assumed to exert in the capillary damage by the. A. planci venom: a histamine-releasing factor in the venom first acts on mast cells (and other cells) and then the released histamine produces the increase in capillary permeability.