Although very rare in a European context, a bite from the black mamba Dendroaspis polylepis is an event that poses an immediate threat to life. Given the content of neurotoxins in the snake's venom, the mortality of envenomation reaches 100% in almost every case if ventilation is not provided in a timely manner and adequate therapy initiated. The report d...

BACKGROUND Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP) is the newest member of the natriuretic peptide family and is a circulating peptide in humans. The effects of DNP on the human vasculature are unknown. Since other natriuretic peptides are known to cause vasorelaxation, we determined the response to DNP on human blood vessels in vitro. We also investigated the mechanism of DNP mediated vasorelaxa...

AIM Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP) is the most recently identified member of the natriuretic peptide family. Although DNP has similar structure and function to other members, it is genetically different. The other members are known to cause vasorelaxation but the effects of DNP on vascular structure still remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to find out the role of DNP in the develop...

The Osun Grove, Osogbo, Nigeria, is a protected area covered by riparian forest, dry high forest and derived savanna. In January and June 2000 a total of 25 of snake species were recorded with Afronatrix anoscopus and Calabaria reinhardti being prominent. The incidence of Philothamnus semivariegatus, a savanna species, may be the result of the invasive savanna produced by farming activities aro...

The three-dimensional structure of alpha-dendrotoxin (alpha-DTX) from the green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) venom has been determined crystallographically using the method of isomorphous replacement and refined at 2.2 A resolution using a restrained least-squares method. The crystallographic R-factor is 0.169 for all 3451 measured reflections between 7.0 and 2.2 A. Although the main-chain f...

Parasitological examination of faeces of 26 snakes kept in Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Watamu, Kenya revealed new species of Eimeria Schneider, 1875 in Telescopus semiannulatus Smith, 1849. Oocysts of Eimeria arabukosokokensis sp. n. are cylindrical 26.8 (25-29) x 15.1 (14-16) microm with smooth, bilayered oocyst wall and a single polar granule. The broadly ellipsoidal sporocysts average 9.3 (8.5-10) x...