ABSTRACT
Objetivo: Evaluar la actividad antibacteriana in vitro veneno de Hadruroides charcasus contra a Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Staphylococcus aureus. Material y métodos. Por estimulación eléctrica se obtuvo el veneno del escorpión H. charcasus y posteriormente fue cuantificado por el método de relación de absorbancias, [mg/mL]=(1,56 x Abs 280nm) (0,76 x Abs 260nm). Se realizó electroforesis, en condiciones desnaturantes (PAGE-SDS),usando un gel del 10 % y 12 % de entrecruzamiento. A través del sistema Amicon® Ultra 0.5, se hizo laconcentración de las fracciones de proteínas y péptidos. Para evaluar la actividad antibacteriana se empleó cepasde P. aeruginosa y S. aureus, se hizo el método de microdilución en microplaca de 96 pozos para determinar laconcentración mínima inhibitoria (CMI). Resultados. La fracción soluble del veneno total presentó unaconcentración de 2,26 mg/mL y por PAGE-SDS, se observaron bandas con un rango peso molecular entre 7,0 9,1kDa. Se obtuvo una CMI de 0,07 mg/mL y de 0,565 mg/mL para P. aeruginosa y S. aureus una CMI de 0,035 mg/mLConclusión. el veneno del escorpión H. charcasus mostró actividad antibacteriana, con una concentración mínimainhibitoria diferente para cepas tanto S. aureus como para P. aeruginosa.
Objetive: To evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of Hadruroides charcasus venom against Pseudomonasaeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Material andmethods. The venom of the scorpion H. charcasus wasobtained by electrical stimulation and subsequently it was quantified by the absorbance ratio method, [mg /mL] = (1.56 x Abs 280nm) - (0.76 x Abs 260nm).Electrophoresis was performed under denaturingconditions (PAGE-SDS), using a 10% gel and 12% crosslinking. Through the Amicon® Ultra-0.5 system,the concentration of protein and peptide fractions was made. To evaluate the antibacterial activity, strains of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were used; the microdilution method was carried out in a 96-well microplate to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Results The soluble fraction of the total venom showed a concentration of 2,26 mg/mL and by PAGESDS, bands with a molecular weight range between 7.0- 9.1 kDa were observed. An MIC of 0,07 mg / mL and 0,565 mg / mL for P. aeruginosa and S. aureus was obtained with a MIC of 0,035 mg/mL. Conclusion. The scorpion venom H. charcasus showed antibacterial activity, with a different minimum inhibitory concentration for both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa strains.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Background Hadruroides lunatus is the most abundant scorpion species in the Peruvian central coast, where most of the accidents involving humans are registered. In spite of its prevalence, there are only very few studies on H. lunatus envenomation. The aim of the present study was to analyze the cardiorespiratory alterations caused by H. lunatus envenomation in rodents. Methods Wistar rats injected with H. lunatus scorpion venom were submitted to electrocardiography. After euthanasia, rat lungs were collected and histopathologically analyzed. Mouse cardiomyocytes were used to perform immunofluorescence and calcium transient assays. Data were analyzed by ANOVA or Students t-test. The significance level was set at p 0.05. Results It was observed that H. lunatus venom increased heart rate and caused arrhythmia, thereby impairing the heart functioning. Lungs of envenomed animals showed significant alterations, such as diffuse hemorrhage. In addition, immunofluorescence showed that H. lunatus venom was capable of binding to cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes incubated with H. lunatus venom showed a significant decrease in calcium transient, confirming that H. lunatus venom exerts a toxic effect on heart. Conclusion Our results showed that H. lunatus venom is capable of inducing cardiorespiratory alterations, a typical systemic effect of scorpionism, stressing the importance of medical monitoring in envenomation cases.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Background Hadruroides lunatus is the most abundant scorpion species in the Peruvian central coast, where most of the accidents involving humans are registered. In spite of its prevalence, there are only very few studies on H. lunatus envenomation. The aim of the present study was to analyze the cardiorespiratory alterations caused by H. lunatus envenomation in rodents. Methods Wistar rats injected with H. lunatus scorpion venom were submitted to electrocardiography. After euthanasia, rat lungs were collected and histopathologically analyzed. Mouse cardiomyocytes were used to perform immunofluorescence and calcium transient assays. Data were analyzed by ANOVA or Student’s t-test. The significance level was set at p< 0.05. Results It was observed that H. lunatus venom increased heart rate and caused arrhythmia, thereby impairing the heart functioning. Lungs of envenomed animals showed significant alterations, such as diffuse hemorrhage. In addition, immunofluorescence showed that H. lunatus venom was capable of binding to cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes incubated with H. lunatus venom showed a significant decrease in calcium transient, confirming that H. lunatus venom exerts a toxic effect on heart. Conclusion Our results showed that H. lunatus venom is capable of inducing cardiorespiratory alterations, a typical systemic effect of scorpionism, stressing the importance of medical monitoring in envenomation cases.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Heart/drug effects , Scorpion Venoms/adverse effects , Scorpion Venoms/toxicity , Electrocardiography/methods , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Rats, Wistar , Scorpion Venoms/administration & dosageABSTRACT
Ecuador harbors one of the most diverse Neotropical scorpion faunas, hereby updated to 47 species contained within eight genera and five families, which inhabits the Costa (n= 17), Sierra (n= 34), Oriente (n= 16) and Insular (n= 2) biogeographical regions, corresponding to the western coastal, Andean, Amazonian, and the Galápagos archipelago regions, respectively. The genusTityus Koch, in the family Buthidae, responsible for severe/fatal accidents elsewhere in northern South America and the Amazonia, is represented in Ecuador by 16 species, including T. asthenes, which has caused fatalities in Colombia and Panama, and now in the Ecuadorian provinces of Morona Santiago and Sucumbíos. Underestimation of the medical significance of scorpion envenoming in Ecuador arises from the fact thatCentruroides margaritatus (Gervais) (family Buthidae) andTeuthraustes atramentarius Simon (family Chactidae), whose venoms show low toxicity towards vertebrates, frequently envenom humans in the highly populated Guayas and Pichincha provinces. This work also updates the local scorpion faunal endemicity (74.5 %) and its geographical distribution, and reviews available medical/biochemical information on each species in the light of the increasing problem of scorpionism in the country. A proposal is hereby put forward to classify the Ecuadorian scorpions based on their potential medical importance.
Subject(s)
Animals , Animal Distribution , Ecuador , Scorpions/classificationABSTRACT
Ecuador harbors one of the most diverse Neotropical scorpion faunas, hereby updated to 47 species contained within eight genera and five families, which inhabits the "Costa" (n= 17), "Sierra" (n= 34), "Oriente" (n= 16) and "Insular" (n= 2) biogeographical regions, corresponding to the western coastal, Andean, Amazonian, and the Galápagos archipelago regions, respectively. The genusTityus Koch, in the family Buthidae, responsible for severe/fatal accidents elsewhere in northern South America and the Amazonia, is represented in Ecuador by 16 species, including T. asthenes, which has caused fatalities in Colombia and Panama, and now in the Ecuadorian provinces of Morona Santiago and Sucumbíos. Underestimation of the medical significance of scorpion envenoming in Ecuador arises from the fact thatCentruroides margaritatus (Gervais) (family Buthidae) andTeuthraustes atramentarius Simon (family Chactidae), whose venoms show low toxicity towards vertebrates, frequently envenom humans in the highly populated Guayas and Pichincha provinces. This work also updates the local scorpion faunal endemicity (74.5 %) and its geographical distribution, and reviews available medical/biochemical information on each species in the light of the increasing problem of scorpionism in the country. A proposal is hereby put forward to classify the Ecuadorian scorpions based on their potential medical importance.(AU)