This is a self-limited diarrheal disease without known chronic sequelae. Treatment is symptomatic and supportive with regards to short-term diarrhea and accompanying fluid and electrolyte losses. Therefore any suspected cases of DSP should be reported to the appropriate public health authorities for follow up to ascertain other cases and to prevent further spread. And every effort should be made to obtain contaminated materials and their source. Okadaic acid, dinophysiotoxin 1 and 3 are acidic, while there is another neutral group of toxins which are polyether lactones named pectonotoxins and yessotoxin.
Diarrhea is caused in mice when the acidic component of okadaic acid is injected interperitoneally.
Pectonotoxin 1 causes liver damage in mice under similar circumstances. Both the pectenotoxins and yessotoxin are lethal in mice with ip injection. Okadaic acid is lipophilic. It is a potent inhibitor of protein phosphorylase phosphatase 1 and 2A in the cytosol of the mammalian cells that dephosphorylate serine and threonine. It probably causes diarrhea by stimulating the phosphorylation that controls sodium secretion by intestinal cells similar to Vibrio cholerae, although by a different mechanism.