Background: Scorpion stings are responsible for many deaths in humans; however, the toxicity mechanisms of the venoms from many species are not well studied. We investigated the cardiotoxicity of the crude venom from H. lepturus scorpion and its isolated fractions, F-I to F-VI. Methods: The scorpion’s venom was extracted into six fractions by chromotagraphy. Healthy male Wistar rats (N=72) wer...

Scorpion sting is a common important health problem in south-west of Iran. The present descriptive retrospective study was conducted to make new information on scorpionism in the Lordegan County(2002- 2006). Data collected in this study revealed that the highest incidence of scorpion sting cases was taken place in spring (49.72%) in 2006. The scorpions which have brought by the pateints to the ...

Scorpionism is a known significant problem of medical and social importance in many tropical and subtropical regions including the Middle East. In Iran, highest prevalence of scorpion sting about 60% of all the stings has been reported from Khuzestan province. Among the 21,000 cases of reported scorpion stung patients, 12% were caused by H. lepturus, but contributed to 95% of all moralities in ...

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the biodistribution profile of the venom of Hemiscorpius lepturus, the most dangerous scorpion in Iran. Blood and tissue samples were taken at various predetermined intervals during a 400-minute period for the venom and a 360-minute period for the antivenom in rats. The radio-iodination was carried out using the chloramine-T method. The result...

In the present work, we purified and characterized a novel toxin named hemicalcin from the venom of the Iranian chactoid scorpion Hemiscorpius lepturus where it represents 0.6% of the total protein content. It is a 33-mer basic peptide reticulated by three disulfide bridges, and that shares between 85 and 91% sequence identity with four other toxins, all known or supposed to be active on ryanod...

Scorpion stings are a common and important health problem in Iran, particularly in south and southwestern Iran, including the province of Khuzestan. In the area of Khuzestan near the city of Ramhormoz, Hemiscorpius lepturus (Scorpionida: Hemiscorpioiidae) and Androctonus crassicauda (Buthidae) are present. Ramhormoz is in southwestern Iran and is one of the most important foci of the scorpion s...

The available Razi Institute antivenom is still, empirically, used by intramuscular (IM) administration for the treatment of scorpion stings in humans by six medically dangerous species including Hemiscorpius lepturus (H. lepturus). The aim of this study was to assess the neutralizing ability and effectiveness of the antivenom in inhibiting hemoglobinuria, biochemical changes, increased microal...

Hemoscorpius lepturus is the most medically important scorpion in Iran. The clinical signs of H. lepturus envenomation are remarkably similar to those reported for brown spiders, including dermonecrosis, hematuria, renal failure and even death. The lethality and toxicity of brown spiders' venom have been attributed to its phospholipase D activity. This study aims to identify a phospholipase D w...