ABSTRACT
We observed that the purified venom of the Tityus serrulatus scorpion (T1 fraction), injected IV in rats, in a single dose of 0,5 mg/kg, produces: acute pancreatitis, characterized by degranulation and acinar cell vacuolization, necrosis and an inflammatory reaction, 24, 48 and 96 hours after the injection; chronic pancreatitis, characterized by interstitial fibrosis, lymphocyte infiltration, ductal and ductular dilation, acinar cell atrophy, periductal ductular hyperplasia, 20 days after injection; hyperplasia of Langerhans' islets and nesidioblastosis, associated to chronic pancreatitis. The absence of deaths in the experimental group is an intersting finding: the dose used preserved the animals from death and allowed the safe follow-up ot the progression of the provoked pancreatitis. The results led us to conclude that the toxin of Tityus serrulatus scorpion is an agent of considerable efficacy in the induction of pancreatitis in rats providing an experimental model of acute and chronic form of this disease.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Pancreatitis/chemically induced , Scorpion Venoms/adverse effects , Toxins, Biological/adverse effects , Acute Disease , Chronic Disease , Disease Models, Animal , Pancreatitis/pathology , Rats, Wistar , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Os efeitos do veneno de escorpiäo no trato gastrointestinal foram investigados no homem e em animais de experimentaçäo. O fluxo pancreático e o conteúdo enzimáticos säo aumentados por TsTX, o veneno purificado do escorpiäo Tityus serrulatus. Neste estudo, ratos machos receberam dose única intravenosa de TsTX. Eles foram sacrificados 20 dias após e o pâncreas foi removido. Estudos histopatológicos mostraram fibrose intersticial, infiltrado mononuclear, atrofia acinar e dilataçäo ductular. Também foram vistos, se bem que menos freqüentemente, infiltrado eosinofílico, hiperplasia ductular e densa secreçäo eosinofílica em ductos alargados. Todas as lesöes eram multifocais. Hiperplasia de ilhotas e nesidioblastose também foram observadas
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Pancreatitis/chemically induced , Scorpion Venoms/toxicity , Chronic Disease , Injections, Intravenous , Pancreatitis/pathology , Pancreatitis/physiopathology , Single DoseABSTRACT
Tityustoxin (TsTx), the purified venom of the Brazilian scorpion Tityus serrulatus, was inected intravenously (50 microng/Kg) into rats, producing a typical picture of chronic pancreatitis after 20 days. Nesidioblastosis, a lesions characterized by hyperplasia of the islets of Langerhans, was also detected in a high percentage (40%) of animals. TsTx-induced pancreatitis may be a useful model for the study of nesidioblastosis in laboratory animals
Subject(s)
Rats , Animals , Male , Neurotoxins/toxicity , Pancreatic Diseases/pathology , Pancreatitis/chemically induced , Scorpion Venoms/toxicity , Chronic Disease , Injections, Intravenous , Pancreatitis/pathology , Scorpion Venoms/administration & dosageABSTRACT
A inoculaçäo experimental da toxina do escorpiäo Tityus serrulatus provoca pancreatite em cäes e ratos. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar a seqüência temporal de aparecimento das lesöes histopatológicas pancreáticas agudas, no rato, após a inoculaçäo do veneno. Ratos machos, adultos, da raça Wistar pesando 250 ñ 30 g, receberam injeçäo i.v. de tityustoxina (TsTX). Após tempos diversos de exposiçäo ao veneno (10, 20, 40 minutos e 24 e 96 horas) os animais foram sacrificados e o páncreas retirado, sendo, em seguida, submetido a exame histológico. Os resultados mostram aspectos seletivos de lesäo do pâncreas, produzida pela açäo de TsTX. Nos animais sacrificados após 10, 20 e 40 minutos da injeçäo do veneno, as lesöes foram do tipo degenerativo, com degranulaçäo e vacuolizaçäo. Após 24 e 96 horas de exposiçäo a toxina se estabelece o quadro característico de pancreatite aguda. Desde que o dano celular ao pâncreas é precocemente evidenciado, sugere-se uma açäo direta da toxina sobre este órgäo