Scorpions are amongst the most ancient arthropods, as the oldest fossils were dated from the late silurian (Proscorpius osborni, 418 million years B.P.) [1]. Extant scorpions (with about 2,000 species spreading globally) are therefore 'living fossils', which retained all of the primitive features except that they are considerably smaller compared to their up to 1-meter long Brontoscorpio anglic...

Until now, there are 26 scorpion species of 7 genera of 5 families recorded in Xizang (China). Xizang Autonomous Region (Tibet) is the scorpion biodiversity richest area in China (53 scorpion species of 12 genera of 5 families), also the highest altitude habitat of scorpions in the world. We present information of type specimens, an identification key of the scorpion species from Xizang, the di...

Toxin II isolated from the sea anemone Anemonia sulcata enhances activation of the action potential sodium ionophore of electrically excitable neuroblastoma cells by veratridine and batrachotoxin. This heterotropic cooperative effect is identical to that observed previously with scorpion toxin but occurs at a 110-fold higher concentration. Depolarization of the neuroblastoma cells inhibits the ...

INTRODUCTION Complications following scorpion sting are common in India and can be fatal. Stroke following scorpion sting is a rare complication and can occur by various mechanisms such as hypertension, hypotension, DIC, myocarditis and venom-induced vasculitis. We present a rare case of extensive cerebellar infarction following scorpion sting, which has rarely been reported in medical literatu...

BACKGROUND Recently, a new subfamily of long-chain toxins with a Kunitz-type fold was found in scorpion venom glands. Functionally, these toxins inhibit protease activity and block potassium channels. However, the genomic organization and three-dimensional (3-D) structure of this kind of scorpion toxin has not been reported. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here, we characterized the genomic organization a...

The occurrence of an acute myocardial infarction (MI) following a scorpion sting has been very rarely reported in the previous literature. Possible pathogenetic mechanisms include severe hypotension due to hypovolaemic shock and coronary spasm with subsequent thrombosis of coronary vessels developed after the release of vasoactive, inflammatory and thrombogenic substances contained in the scorp...

Although the majority of serious cases in the world are concerned with snake bite envenomation, but those which are caused by scorpion stings are also famous for causing extreme pain. The present view is an attempt to enlist scientifically ignored medicinal plants of Pakistan exhibiting anti-scorpion venom activity. In this review data of 35 medicinal plants is collected with their families, pa...

This is a case report of the first accident involving a scorpion Tityus serrulatus in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, that occurred in March, 2001. A 21-year-old male patient, while handling vegetables proceeding from other Brazilian states, was bitten by a scorpion Tityus serrulatus, developing local and systemic reactions, requiring an anti-scorpion antidote. The authors highlight the epide...

Iodination of toxin II from the sea anemone Anemonia sulcata gives a labeled monoiododerivative that retains 80% of the original neurotoxicity. This derivative binds specifically to rat brain synaptosomes at 20 degrees C and pH 7.4 with a second-order rate constant of association ka = 4.6 x 10(4) M-1 sec-1 and a first-order rate constant of dissociation kd = 1.1 x 10(-2) sec-1. The binding occu...