TsTx toxin isolated from Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom-induced spontaneous recurrent seizures and mossy fiber sprouting

ABSTRACT

TsTx is a scorpion á-type toxin that binds to site 3 of the Na+ channels in a voltage-dependent mode, slowing or blocking the inactivation mechanism of these channels (Possani et al., Eur J Biochem 1999). This binding increases depolarization time of the channel and consequently induces excessive neurotransmitter release. Previously we reported that hippocampal injection of TsTx induces clonic convulsions, electrographic seizures, and hippocampal damage. This investigation was designed to characterize the long-term behavioral, electroencephalographic (EEG), and histopathologic features after a single TsTx injection into the rat hippocampus.