In vivo analysis of effects of venom from the jellyfish Chrysaora sp. in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

• The venom from Chrysaora sp. cause on Danio rerio hemorrhage in the eyes.
• The primary organs targeted were the pseudobranch and the gill.
• The erythrocytes of fishes showed hemolysis, nuclear abnormalities, and echinocytes.

The jellyfishes of the genus Chrysaora are present in all of the world's oceans, but the toxicity of their venoms has not yet been thoroughly characterized. The zebrafish as a toxicology model can be used for general toxicity testing of drugs and the investigation of toxicological mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of crude venom from jellyfish Chrysaora sp., a species of jellyfish observed in the tropical lagoons of the Gulf of Mexico, on the zebrafish Danio rerio. Juvenile zebrafish were injected with different concentrations of venom from Chrysaora sp. via intraperitoneal and subcutaneous injections. The effects of the venom were determined by histopathological analysis and through the measurement of hemolytic and phospholipase A2 activities. The crude venom was examined by SDS-PAGE. The effect of sublethal concentrations of crude venom from Chrysaora sp. on D. rerio was hemorrhaging in the eyes, while the histopathological analysis demonstrated that the primary organs targeted were the pseudobranch, which displayed hyperemia, and the gill, which displayed hyperplasia and hypertrophy. The blood analysis exhibited hemolysis, nuclear abnormalities, and echinocytes by the action of phospholipase A2, which was determined to have 596 units of activity/mg of protein in the venom. The crude venom has proteins with molecular weights ranging from 250 to 6 kDa, with more density in the bands corresponding to 70, 20 and 15 kDa. The venom of Chysaora sp. caused disturbances in circulation associated with vascular dilation due to the localized release of inflammatory mediators. The hemolysis of erythrocytes was caused by the action of phospholipase A2. These findings not only provide an excellent study model but also have a great pharmacological potential for designing new drugs and for the elucidation of the mechanisms of action of and treatment against stings.