Mild reproductive effects of the Tityus bahiensis scorpion venom in rats

Scorpion envenoming is a public health problem in Brazil, where Tityus serrulatus and T. bahiensis are considered the most dangerous scorpions. They are well adapted to urbanized environments, and there is an increasing probability of human exposure to these venoms, including during pregnancy. Not much is known about the effects of prenatal exposure to the venom, and no information is available to aid in the rational treatment of victims stung during pregnancy. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether venom from the scorpion T. bahiensis administered once to pregnant female rats at a dose that causes a moderate envenomation may lead to deleterious effects on the reproductive performance of the dams and on the development of their offspring. This is the first work demonstrating that T. bahiensis venom, when administered experimentally to rats, alters maternal reproductive performance and the morphological development of fetuses. The venom was given to dams on the 5th (GD5) or on the 10th (GD10) gestational day. After laparotomy, on GD21, fetuses and placentas were counted, weighed and externally analyzed. The corpora lutea were counted. The sex and vitality of fetuses were evaluated, and each litter was then randomly divided for visceral or skeletal analyses. Data were analyzed by ANOVA followed by the Tukey-Kramer test and Fisher's exact test. The significance level for all tests was set at p < 0.05.

Mild reproductive effects of the Tityus bahiensis scorpion venom in rats

Scorpion envenoming is a public health problem in Brazil, where Tityus serrulatus and T. bahiensis are considered the most dangerous scorpions. They are well adapted to urbanized environments, and there is an increasing probability of human exposure to these venoms, including during pregnancy. Not much is known about the effects of prenatal exposure to the venom, and no information is available to aid in the rational treatment of victims stung during pregnancy. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether venom from the scorpion T. bahiensis administered once to pregnant female rats at a dose that causes a moderate envenomation may lead to deleterious effects on the reproductive performance of the dams and on the development of their offspring. This is the first work demonstrating that T. bahiensis venom, when administered experimentally to rats, alters maternal reproductive performance and the morphological development of fetuses. The venom was given to dams on the 5th (GD5) or on the 10th (GD10) gestational day. After laparotomy, on GD21, fetuses and placentas were counted, weighed and externally analyzed. The corpora lutea were counted. The sex and vitality of fetuses were evaluated, and each litter was then randomly divided for visceral or skeletal analyses. Data were analyzed by ANOVA followed by the Tukey-Kramer test and Fisher's exact test. The significance level for all tests was set at p < 0.05.

Participação de fatores de crescimento e de citosinas nas alterações observadas na prole de ratas tratadas com o veneno do escorpião Tityus Bahiensis no período gestacional / Participation of growth factors and citokynes in alterations observed in offspring of rats treated with Tityus bahiensis scorpion venom during the pregnancy

No Brasil, o escorpionismo é um problema de saúde pública. O escorpião T. serrulatus é considerado o mais perigoso, mas um grande número de acidentes também acontece com o T. bahiensis. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar possíveis efeitos do veneno do escorpião T. bahiensis no desempenho reprodutivo materno e nos níveis de citocinas e fatores de crescimento em embriões de mães tratadas durante a gestação. Para os parâmetros reprodutivos foram utilizadas fêmeas prenhes injetadas com uma dose de 2,5mg/Kg (s.c.) do veneno no 5º (GD5) ou no 10º (GD10) dia gestacional. O grupo controle foi injetado com salina a 1,46% (1ml/Kg) em ambos os dias. No 21º dia gestacional, os filhotes foram retirados por laparotomia e divididos em dois grupos que receberam tratamento específico para a análise visceral e esquelética. Para avaliação dos níveis de citocinas e de fatores de crescimento, as fêmeas prenhes foram injetadas com salina (1ml/Kg), LPS (100μg/kg) ou veneno (2,5mg/Kg) no 10º (GD10) ou 16º (GD16) dia gestacional. Os filhotes foram removidos por laparotomia 6, 12 ou 24 horas após o tratamento materno. As amostras foram maceradas em um homogenizador de tecido e centrifugadas. Os níveis de citocinas e fatores de crescimento foram determinados por ensaios imunoenzimáticos. Nos parâmetros reprodutivos não houve alterações no peso materno durante a gestação, no número de corpos lúteos, número de filhotes, peso do útero e dos filhotes. Houve diminuição no número de implantações e reabsorções no grupo GD5. Houve aumento no peso das placentas em GD5 e GD10. No desenvolvimento dos filhotes foram observadas aumento no peso do coração e pulmão em GD5 e GD10 e no peso do fígado em GD10. Não foram observadas anomalias e malformações internas ou externas nos filhotes de ambos os grupos experimentais. Em GD10 não foram observadas alterações nos níveis de citocinas 6 horas após a aplicação do veneno, mas verificou-se diminuição do nível de INF-γ 24 horas depois...

In Brazil scorpionism is a public health problem. The scorpion T. serrulatus is considered the most dangerous, but a large number of accidents also occur with T. bahiensis. The objective of this work was to verify the possible effects of the T. bahiensis scorpion venom on the maternal reproductive parameters and on the cytokines levels and growth factors in embryos after the treatment of pregnancy females. To the reproductive parameters it was used pregnant females injected with a dose of 2.5mg/Kg (s.c.) of the venom. The experimental groups were injected with venom on the 5th (GD5) or on the 10th (GD10) gestational day. The control group was injected with NaCl 1.46% on both days. On the 21st gestational day, the pups were taken out by laparotomy and were divided into two groups that received specific treatments for skeletal or visceral analyses. To evaluate the cytokines levels, pregnant females were injected with saline (1ml/kg), LPS (100μg/kg) or crude venom (2.5mg/kg) on the 10th (GD10) or 16th (GD16) gestational day. The pups were removed by laparotomy 6, 12 or 24 hours after the mother’s treatment. The samples (embryo/placenta) were macerated by a tissue homogenizer and centrifuged. The cytokine levels were determined by enzyme immunoassays. In the reproductive parameters no changes were observed in the maternal weight during the gestational period, corpora lutea, number of pups, uterus weight and pups weight. There was a decrease on the number of implantation and resorption in GD5 There was alteration on the placenta’s weight in GD5 and GD10. In pups development there were observed alterations in the heart and lung weight on GD5 and GD10 and on the liver weight on GD10. There were not observed external or internal anomalies and malformations in the offspring of both experimental groups. The cytokines levels were not alterated after 6 hours in GD10. In GD16 there was an increase in the IL-1α levels...