New insights into the causes of XXXX @entity221 due to consumption of azaspiracid contaminated shellfish.

@entity1 @entity294 @entity391 @entity16 @entity4968 @entity221 @entity2359
Azaspiracid (AZA) @entity4968 was unknown until 1995 when shellfish harvested in Ireland caused @entity221 manifesting by @entity391 and @entity294 . Further in vivo/vitro studies showed @entity2359 linked with AZA exposure. However, the biological target of the toxin which will help explain such potent @entity16 is still unknown. A region of Irish coastline was selected and shellfish were sampled and tested for AZA using mass spectrometry. An outbreak was identified in 2010 and samples collected before and after the contamination episode were compared for their metabolite profile using high resolution mass spectrometry. Twenty eight ions were identified at higher concentration in the contaminated samples. Stringent bioinformatic analysis revealed putative identifications for seven compounds including, glutarylcarnitine, a glutaric acid metabolite. Glutaric acid, the parent compound linked with @entity1 neurological manifestations was subjected to toxicological investigations but was found to have no specific effect on the sodium channel (as was the case with AZA). However in combination, glutaric acid (1mM) and azaspiracid (50nM) inhibited the activity of the sodium channel by over 50%. Glutaric acid was subsequently detected in all shellfish employed in the study. For the first time a viable mechanism for how AZA manifests itself as a toxin is presented.
