Intersexual variation in tail length, venom composition, toxicity, and anticancer activity of cerastes cerastes [viperidae]

Background: The medically important desert-horned or Egyptian sand viper [Cerastes cerastes] is one of the most familiar snakes of the great deserts of North Africa and the Middle East. It is a poisonous and widely distributed snake in Africa and inhabits the sandy deserts of Egypt. Male and female specimens of C. cerastes have been compared from different aspects

Results: Morphologically, tail length relative to snout-vent length was compared. Males significantly showed longer tails than do females. From the venom aspect, males showed a significant [p<0.005] higher concentration of protein in the venom [133mg/ml] compared to females [106 mg/ml]. Female venom was significantly more toxic than male, with a median lethal dose [LD[50]] in mice of 0.6microg venom protein/gm body weight whereas LD[50] for males was 0.7 microg/gm. Protein analyses by means of electrophoretic technique revealed differences in venom composition between males and females. We have detected individual variability and highlighted sex-specific protein similarities and differences among snake venoms. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed protein bands of 42 and 39 kDa specific to male venoms while bands of 46 and 44 kDa are specific to female venoms. Moreover, we evaluated the antitumor efficacy of male and female snake venoms in liver [HEPG-2], breast [MCF-7], colon [HTC-116] and normal cell lines and IC50 was calculated. Interestingly, both male and female venoms had anti proliferative effects on the tumor cell lines with different potency. Female venom had a higher cytotoxicity against colon cells [IC[50]=0.006 microg/ml] than male venom [IC[50]= 0.019microg /ml]. In contrast, male venom had a higher cytotoxicity against breast cells [IC[50]=0.005 microg/ml] than female venom [IC[50]=0.024microg /ml]. These results indicate that males and females of C. cerastes produce venoms with different composition and activity, which may have epidemiological implications

comparative scanning electron microscopic study on the tongue of the African beauty snake [psammophis sibilans] and Schokari sand snake [psammophis Schokari] [peptilia, serpents, colubridae]

The morphological characteristics of the tongue of the African beauty snake [Psammophis sibilans] collected from Beheira and the schokari sand snake [Psammophis schokari] collected from Mattrouh and Sinai were compared by scanning electron microscopy. The surface morphology, location and regular distribution of the epithelial cells on the dorsal side of the fork are relatively the same among both species. These cells are covered by microstructures in the form of microfacets, micropores, microvilli and microridges. The function of microfacets might be for the absorption of chemical substances, secretion of granules and protection of the epithelium. The microvilli in the unforked portion are predominant in all species, while microridges and cilia are less pronounced. The microridges were observed only in Psammophis schokari collected from Mattrouh, while cilia were observed in Psammophis schokari collected from Sinai and Psammophis sibilans. The presence or absence of cilia and microridges may be related to the external environment rather than a conservative character of snake tongue

Ecology of some sympatric reptilian species from Egypt with special reference to helminthic parasites: ptyodactylus, guttatus and tarentola annularis

Ptyodactylus guttatus and Tarentola annularis are sympatric throughout most of their geographical distribution in Egypt. Their temporal activities, feeding habits, food items, feeding strategy are almost similar. These species harbored six species of nematodes, one species of trematodes, in addition to helminthic cysts of cestodes in the liver of each specific host