Tetrodotoxin: a potent marine toxin

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a neurotoxin found in puffer fish and other marine animals. This toxin is predominantly isolated from the skin, viscera, ovaries, and liver of the puffer fish. The toxin is produced by various species of bacteria, and TTX-bearing animals may have absorbed and accumulated it through the food chain. TTX is widely used in many laboratories as an important pharmacological reagent because of its ability to selectively block the sodium channels on the nerve membrane. No antidote is available for clinical use. The mainstay of treatment is careful observation and serial neurological assessment to monitor the progression of the clinical effects so that respiratory failure or cardiac effects are appropriately treated.