| Domoic Acid Transfer to Milk: Evaluation of a Potential Route of Neonatal Exposure Jennifer M. Maucher and John S. Ramsdell Marine Biotoxins Program, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Ocean Service, Charleston, South Carolina Abstract
Domoic acid (DA) , produced by the diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia, is a glutamate analog and a neurotoxin in humans. During diatom blooms, DA can contaminate filter-feeding organisms, such as shellfish, and can be transferred by ingestion to higher trophic levels. Several intoxication events involving both humans and various marine mammals have been attributed to DA. Affected organisms show neurological symptoms such as seizures, ataxia, headweaving, and stereotypic scratching, as well as prolonged deficits in memory and learning. Neonatal animals have been shown to be substantially more sensitive to DA than adults. However, it has not been demonstrated whether DA can be transferred to nursing young from DA-exposed mothers. This study demonstrates transfer of DA from spiked milk (0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg) to the plasma of nursing neonatal rats and an overall longer DA retention in milk than in plasma after 8 hr in exposed dams. DA was detectable in milk up to 24 hr after exposure (1.0 mg/kg) of the mothers, although the amount of DA transferred to milk after exposure was not sufficient to cause acute symptoms in neonates. Key words: amnesic shellfish poisoning, domoic acid, ELISA, milk, plasma, urine. Environ Health Perspect 113:461-464 (2005) . doi:10.1289/ehp.7649 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 20 January 2005]
Address correspondence to J.S. Ramsdell, Coastal Research Branch, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, NOAA-National Ocean Service, 219 Fort Johnson Rd., Charleston, SC 29412 USA. Telephone: (843) 762-8510. Fax: (843) 762-8700. E-mail: john.ramsdell@noaa.gov The authors thank L. Briggs (AgResearch Ltd, NZ) and H. Kleivdal (Biosense Laboratories AS, NO) for their expertise and advice in the application of the cELISA and D. Nolan of Argus Research for his supervision of the animal sampling. This work was supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Competitive ELISA kits were kindly provided by Biosense Ltd. The National Ocean Service (NOS) does not approve, recommend, or endorse any proprietary product or material mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to NOS, or to this publication furnished by NOS, in any advertising or sales promotion which would indicate or imply that NOS approves, recommends, or endorses any proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned herein or which has as its purpose any intent to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used or purchased because of NOS publication. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 8 October 2004 ; accepted 19 January 2005.
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