Modulation of jellyfish nematocyst discharges and management of human skin stings in Nemopilema nomurai and Carybdea mora

Even though jellyfish sting is common today, its first aid guideline has never been clear enough in a scientific point of view and the use of vinegar appears to be not accepted in common throughout the world. In the present study, to develop rational first aid guidelines for the stings of Nemopilema nomurai (scyphozoa) and Carybdea mora (cubozoa), the modulatory effects of various kinds of rinsing solutions have been assessed on nematocyst discharge and human skin tests. Among the solutions tested, vinegar (4% acetic acid) immediately caused significant nematocyst discharge in N. nomurai but not in C. mora. On the other hand, ethanol (70%) notably stimulated nematocyst discharge in C. mora and relatively less in N. nomurai. Moreover, isopropanol, a widely used solvent in pharmaceutical products, caused extensive nematocyst discharges in both N. nomurai and C. mora. Whereas, seawater did not elicit any nematocyst discharge in both jellyfish species. In human skin test, the rinsing with seawater also ameliorated the stinging-associated symptoms (pain and redness) in C. mora as well as N. nomurai. From this study, seawater appears not to induce any nematocyst discharge and can be safely used as a first aid rinsing solution for the jellyfish stings.