GİRİŞ ve AMAÇ: Akrep zehirleri çeşitli kimyasal maddelerin oluşturduğu oldukça kompleks heterojen karışımlardır. Bu çalışmada, bir akrep türü Mesobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) (Scorpiones: Buthidae)’un ham zehrinin kanser hücre hatları üzerine sitotoksik antiproliferatif etkileri araştırılmıştır. YÖNTEM GEREÇLER: M. gibbosus’dan elde edilen zehrin iki insan hattı (MCF-7 meme kanseri A549 akciğ...

The resistance of the scorpion Androctonus australis to its own venom, as well as to the venom of other species, was investigated. A comparison of the electrical and pharmacological properties of muscle and nerve fibres from Androctonus australis with those from the crayfish Procambarus clarkii enabled us to understand the lack of effect of scorpion venom (110-180 microg ml-1) and purified toxi...

Androctonus mauretanicus (A. mauretanicus) and Buthus occitanus (B. occitanus) scorpions, which belong to the Buthidae family, are the most venomous scorpions in Morocco. For the first time, we investigated the effects of such scorpion venoms on serum electrolytes in subcutaneously injected rabbits. For this purpose, 3 groups of 6 albinos adult male rabbits (New Zealand) were used in this exper...

Australian scorpion venoms have been poorly studied, probably because they do not pose an evident threat to humans. In addition, the continent has other medically important venomous animals capable of causing serious health problems. Urodacus yaschenkoi belongs to the most widely distributed family of Australian scorpions (Urodacidae) and it is found all over the continent, making it a useful m...

A patient with electrocardiographic abnormalities after scorpion sting, simulating early myocardial infarction, is reported here. Pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure accompanied these electrocardiographic changes. The etiology of the cardiovascular manifestations in severe scorpion sting is related to the venom effects on the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal secretion of cate...

Venom of the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus acts cooperatively with the alkaloids veratridine, aconitine, and batrachotoxin in activating the action potential Na+ ionophore. A small (Mr = 6700), basic (pI approximately 9.8), toxic polypeptide purified approximately 80-fold from this venom by ion exchange chromatography appears homogeneous by gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing and, l...

Scorpion stings and snake bites are major health hazards that lead to suffering of victims and high mortality. Thousands of injuries associated with such stings and bites of venomous animals occur every year worldwide. In North Africa, more than 100,000 scorpion stings and snake bites are reported annually. An appropriate determination of the 50% lethal doses (LD₅₀) of scorpion and snake venoms...

Scorpion envenomations are ubiquitous, but nephropathy is a rare manifestation, reported mainly from the Middle East and North Africa. Rapid venom redistribution from blood, delayed excretion from the kidneys, direct toxicity of venom enzymes, cytokine release and afferent arteriolar constriction have been seen in experimental animals. Haemoglobinuria, acute tubular necrosis, interstitial nephr...

BACKGROUND Kunitz-type venom peptides have been isolated from a wide variety of venomous animals. They usually have protease inhibitory activity or potassium channel blocking activity, which by virtue of the effects on predator animals are essential for the survival of venomous animals. However, no Kunitz-type peptides from scorpion venom have been functionally characterized. PRINCIPAL FINDIN...