Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases最新文献

{"title":"A new therapeutic approach for bone metastasis in colorectal cancer: intratumoral melittin.","authors":"Mackson Martins Rocha,&nbsp;Isabela Dariva,&nbsp;Gabriela Comelli Zornoff,&nbsp;Giovanna Sanches De Laurentis,&nbsp;Giulia Carli Mendes,&nbsp;Maycon Giovani Santana,&nbsp;Guilherme Chohfi de Miguel,&nbsp;Rui Seabra Ferreira,&nbsp;Juliana Mozer Sciani,&nbsp;Denise Gonçalves Priolli","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0067","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Melittin has shown antiproliferative effects on tumor cells. Therefore, it comprises a valuable compound for studies on cancer treatment. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have reported melittin effects on bone metastasis. Herein, we propose an approach based on intrametastatic melittin injection to treat bone metastases in colorectal cancer.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following the characterization of melittin and antiproliferative tests <i>in vitro</i>, a single dose was injected through intrametastatic route into the mouse bone metastasis model. Following treatment, metastasis growth was evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A single dose of melittin was able to inhibit metastasis growth. Histological analysis showed necrosis and inflammatory processes in melittin-treated metastasis. Except by mild weight loss, no other systemic effects were observed.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our data suggest that melittin might be a promising agent for the future development of treatment strategies aiming to reduce the bone metastasis skeletal-related impact in colorectal cancer patients with bone metastasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8922758/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40317468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Persistent SARS-CoV-2 antigen presence in multiple organs of a naturally infected cat from Brazil.","authors":"Samar Afif Jarrah, Louise Bach Kmetiuk, Otávio Valério de Carvalho, Alessandra Tammy Hayakawa Ito de Sousa, Valeria Regia Franco Souza, Luciano Nakazato, Edson Moleta Colodel, Andrea Pires Dos Santos, Christina Pettan-Brewer, Rosane Christine Hahn, Renata Dezengrini Slhessarenko, Daniel Guimarães Ubiali, Asheley Henrique Barbosa Pereira, Helio Autran de Morais, Alexander Welker Biondo, Valéria Dutra","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0074","DOIUrl":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent of the disease coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in humans. SARS-CoV-2 has been identified in cats with or without clinical signs.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>We describe the pathological and molecular findings in a six-month-old asymptomatic cat with SARS-CoV-2 infection from Brazil, belonging to a human family with COVID-19 cases. The pool of nasopharynx and oropharynx swabs at day zero tested positive by RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2. No amplification resulted from molecular testing performed on days 7 and 14. The cat was hit by a car and died 43 days after the molecular diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry at <i>post-mortem</i> examination demonstrated nucleocapsid protein in samples from the lungs, kidneys, nasal conchae, trachea, intestine, brain and spleen.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The present study has highlighted the possibility that viral antigens can be detected by immunohistochemistry in multiple organs six weeks after infection, although the same tissues tested negative by RT-PCR.</p>","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2022-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8906534/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40308590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toxinology in the proteomics era: a review on arachnid venom proteomics.","authors":"Filipi Calbaizer Marchi, Edneia Mendes-Silva, Lucas Rodrigues-Ribeiro, Lucas Gabriel Bolais-Ramos, Thiago Verano-Braga","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0034","DOIUrl":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0034","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The word venomics was coined to acknowledge the studies that use omics to investigate venom proteins and peptides. Venomics has evolved considerably over the last 20 years. The first works on scorpion or spider venomics were published in the early 2000's. Such studies relied on peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) to characterize venom complexity. After the introduction of new mass spectrometers with higher resolution, sensitivity and mass accuracy, and the next-generation nucleotide sequencing, the complexity of data reported in research on scorpion and spider venomics increased exponentially, which allowed more comprehensive studies. In the present review article, we covered key publications on scorpion venomics and spider venomics, presenting historical grounds and implemented technologies over the last years. The literature presented in this review was selected after searching the PubMed database using the terms \"(scorpion venom) AND (proteome)\" for scorpion venomics, and \"(spider venom) AND (proteome)\" for publications on spider venomics. We presented the key aspects related to proteomics in the covered papers including, but not restricted to, the employed proteomic strategy (i.e., PMF, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, shotgun/bottom-up and/or top-down/peptidome), and the type of mass spectrometer used. Some conclusions can be drawn from the present study. For example, the scorpion genus <i>Tityus</i> is the most studied concerning venomics, followed by <i>Centruroides</i>; whereas for spiders the studied genera were found more equally distributed. Another interesting conclusion is the lack of high throughput studies on post-translational modifications (PTMs) of scorpion and spider proteins. In our opinion, PTMs should be more studied as they can modulate the activity of scorpion and spider toxins.</p>","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2022-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8893269/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89663766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A biocomplex to repair experimental critical size defects associated with photobiomodulation therapy","authors":"D. Buchaim, J. Andreo, K. T. Pomini, B. Barraviera, R. S. Ferreira, M. H. Duarte, M. Alcalde, Carlos Henrique Bertoni Reis, Daniel de Bortoli Teixeira, C. R. Bueno, C. Detregiachi, A. Araújo, R. Buchaim","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0056","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background: The association of scaffolds to repair extensive bone defects can contribute to their evolution and morphophysiological recomposition. The incorporation of particulate biomaterials into three-dimensional fibrin bioproducts together with photobiomodulation therapy (PBM) has potential and can improve regenerative medicine procedures. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of PBM therapy on critical size defects filled with xenogenic bone substitute associated with fibrin biopolymer. Methods: A critical defect of 8 mm was performed in 36 Wistar male adult rats that were divided into four groups. Groups BC and BC-PBM were defined as controls with defects filled by a clot (without or with PBM, respectively) and groups XS and XS-PBM that comprised those filled with biocomplex Bio-OssTM in association with fibrin biopolymer. PBM was applied immediately after the surgery and three times a week every other day, with the parameters: wavelength of 830 nm, energy density 6.2 J/cm2, output power 30 mW, beam area of 0.116 cm2, irradiance 0.258,62 W/cm2, energy/point 0.72 J, total energy 2.88 J. Fourteen and 42 days after the surgery, animals were euthanatized and subjected to microtomography, qualitative and quantitative histological analysis. Results: The BC-PBM and XS-PBM groups had a similar evolution in the tissue repair process, with a higher density of the volume of new formed bone in relation to the groups without PBM (p = 0.04086; p = 0.07093, respectively). Intense vascular proliferation and bone deposition around the biomaterial particles were observed in the animals of the groups in which biocomplex was applied (XS and XS-PBM). Conclusion: PBM therapy allowed an improvement in the formation of new bone, with a more organized deposition of collagen fibers in the defect area. Biocomplex favored the insertion and permanence of the particulate material in bone defects, creating a favorable microenvironment for accelerate repair process.","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84258123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Voracity, reaction to stings, and survival of domestic hens when feeding on the yellow scorpion (Tityus serrulatus)","authors":"G. P. Murayama, G. F. Pagoti, J. Guadanucci, R. Willemart","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0050","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background: Scorpionism is a worldwide problem that has already made thousands of victims, and multi-disciplinary approaches for controlling their populations are to be more successful. Hens are often mentioned as tools for controlling scorpions; however, systematic/experimental behavioral studies are not available. Moreover, there is no systematic information on the effect of scorpion venoms on hens. Using the venomous yellow scorpion Tityus serrulatus, the present study aimed to clarify the following aspects: (1) voracity of hens, (2) how hens react when stung, (3) the effect of scorpion stings on hen behavior during attacks, and (4) hen survivorship after feeding on scorpions. Methods: We attracted hens with corn powder, offered them scorpions and then recorded the hen-scorpion interaction. To test the effects of the sting we manually removed the scorpion’s telson. Results: We found that some hens ate up to six scorpions within minutes. By means of an ethogram and drawings, we showed that they exhibited several aversive behaviors when capturing scorpions. Removal of the scorpion telson stopped the aversive reactions, which was not observed in the control group. Finally, hens did not exhibit atypical behaviors after 1, 7 and 30 days and were all alive after 30 days. Conclusion: This is the first empirical and video recorded study providing evidence that hens are clearly affected by scorpion venom but do not die. Therefore, they may have potential to be used in biological control of these arthropods.","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74997331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative venomic profiles of three spiders of the genus Phoneutria","authors":"Frederico Francisco Fernandes, Juliana Rodrigues Moraes, Jaqueline Leal Dos Santos, Thiago G Soares, Vitor José Pinto Gouveia, Alessandra Matavel, W. C. Borges, M. N. Cordeiro, S. Figueiredo, M. H. Borges","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0042","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Background: Spider venoms induce different physio-pharmacological effects by binding with high affinity on molecular targets, therefore being of biotechnological interest. Some of these toxins, acting on different types of ion channels, have been identified in the venom of spiders of the genus Phoneutria, mainly from P. nigriventer. In spite of the pharmaceutical potential demonstrated by P. nigriventer toxins, there is limited information on molecules from venoms of the same genus, as their toxins remain poorly characterized. Understanding this diversity and clarifying the differences in the mechanisms of action of spider toxins is of great importance for establishing their true biotechnological potential. This prompted us to compare three different venoms of the Phoneutria genus: P. nigriventer (Pn-V), P. eickstedtae (Pe-V) and P. pertyi (Pp-V). Methods: Biochemical and functional comparison of the venoms were carried out by SDS-PAGE, HPLC, mass spectrometry, enzymatic activities and electrophysiological assays (whole-cell patch clamp). Results: The employed approach revealed that all three venoms had an overall similarity in their components, with only minor differences. The presence of a high number of similar proteins was evident, particularly toxins in the mass range of ~6.0 kDa. Hyaluronidase and proteolytic activities were detected in all venoms, in addition to isoforms of the toxins Tx1 and Tx2-6. All Tx1 isoforms blocked Nav1.6 ion currents, with slight differences. Conclusion: Our findings showed that Pn-V, Pe-V and Pp-V are highly similar concerning protein composition and enzymatic activities, containing isoforms of the same toxins sharing high sequence homology, with minor modifications. However, these structural and functional variations are very important for venom diversity. In addition, our findings will contribute to the comprehension of the molecular diversity of the venoms of the other species from Phoneutria genus, exposing their biotechnological potential as a source for searching for new active molecules.","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81038879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linking toxicity and predation in a venomous arthropod: the case of <i>Tityus fuhrmanni</i> (Scorpiones: Buthidae), a generalist predator scorpion.","authors":"Alejandra Arroyave-Muñoz,&nbsp;Arie van der Meijden,&nbsp;Sebastián Estrada-Gómez,&nbsp;Luis Fernando García","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Scorpions are arachnids that have a generalist diet, which use venom to subdue their prey. The study of their trophic ecology and capture behavior is still limited compared to other organisms, and aspects such as trophic specialization in this group have been little explored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In order to determine the relationship between feeding behavior and venom toxicity in the scorpion species <i>Tityus fuhrmanni</i>, 33 specimens were offered prey with different morphologies and defense mechanisms: spiders, cockroaches and crickets. In each of the experiments we recorded the following aspects: acceptance rate, immobilization time and the number of capture attempts. The median lethal dose of <i>T. fuhrmanni</i> venom against the three different types of prey was also evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that this species does not have a marked difference in acceptance for any of the evaluated prey, but the number of capture attempts of spiders is higher when compared to the other types of prey. The immobilization time is shorter in spiders compared to other prey and the LD₅₀ was higher for cockroaches.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results indicate that <i>T. fuhrmanni</i> is a scorpion with a generalist diet, has a venom with a different potency among prey and is capable of discriminating between prey types and employing distinct strategies to subdue them.</p>","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8747031/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39862538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"King Cobra and snakebite envenomation: on the natural history, human-snake relationship and medical importance of <i>Ophiophagus hannah</i>.","authors":"Choo Hock Tan,&nbsp;Aymeric Bourges,&nbsp;Kae Yi Tan","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0051","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>King Cobra (<i>Ophiophagus hannah</i>) has a significant place in many cultures, and is a medically important venomous snake in the world. Envenomation by this snake is highly lethal, manifested mainly by neurotoxicity and local tissue damage. King Cobra may be part of a larger species complex, and is widely distributed across Southeast Asia, southern China, northern and eastern regions as well as the Western Ghats of India, indicating potential geographical variation in venom composition. There is, however, only one species-specific King Cobra antivenom available worldwide that is produced in Thailand, using venom from the snake of Thai origin. Issues relating to the management of King Cobra envenomation (<i>e.g.</i>, variation in the composition and toxicity of the venom, limited availability and efficacy of antivenom), and challenges faced in the research of venom (in particular proteomics), are rarely addressed. This article reviews the natural history and sociocultural importance of King Cobra, cases of snakebite envenomation caused by this species, current practice of management (preclinical and clinical), and major toxinological studies of the venom with a focus on venom proteomics, toxicity and neutralization. Unfortunately, epidemiological data of King Cobra bite is scarce, and venom proteomes reported in various studies revealed marked discrepancies in details. Challenges, such as inconsistency in snake venom sampling, varying methodology of proteomic analysis, lack of mechanistic and antivenomic studies, and controversy surrounding antivenom use in treating King Cobra envenomation are herein discussed. Future directions are proposed, including the effort to establish a standard, comprehensive Pan-Asian proteomic database of King Cobra venom, from which the venom variation can be determined. Research should be undertaken to characterize the toxin antigenicity, and to develop an antivenom with improved efficacy and wider geographical utility. The endeavors are aligned with the WHO´s roadmap that aims to reduce the disease burden of snakebite by 50% before 2030.</p>","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8733962/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39851709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recombinant expression and antigenicity of two peptide families of neurotoxins from <i>Androctonus</i> sp.","authors":"Samuel Cardoso-Arenas,&nbsp;Herlinda Clement,&nbsp;Iván Arenas,&nbsp;Felipe Olvera,&nbsp;Fernando Zamudio,&nbsp;Figen Caliskan,&nbsp;Ligia Luz Corrales-García,&nbsp;Gerardo Corzo","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2022-0026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2022-0026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Scorpion neurotoxins such as those that modify the mammalian voltage-gated sodium ion channels (Nav) are the main responsible for scorpion envenomation. Their neutralization is crucial in the production of antivenoms against scorpion stings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In the present study, two <i>in silico</i> designed genes - one that codes for a native neurotoxin from the venom of the Anatolian scorpion <i>Androctonus crassicauda,</i> named Acra 4 - and another non-native toxin - named consensus scorpion toxin (SccTx) obtained from the alignment of the primary structures of the most toxic neurotoxins from the Middle Eastern and North African scorpions - were recombinantly expressed in <i>E. coli</i> Origami.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Following bacterial expression, the two expressed neurotoxins, hereafter named HisrAcra4 and HisrSccTx, were obtained from inclusion bodies. Both recombinant neurotoxins were obtained in multiple Cys-Cys isoforms. After refolding, the active protein fractions were identified with molecular masses of 8,947.6 and 9,989.1 Da for HisrAcra4 and HisrSccTx, respectively, which agreed with their expected theoretical masses. HisrAcra4 and HisrSccTx were used as antigens to immunize two groups of rabbits, to produce either anti-HisrAcra4 or anti-HisrSccTx serum antibodies, which in turn could recognize and neutralize neurotoxins from venoms of scorpion species from the Middle East and North Africa. The antibodies obtained from rabbits neutralized the 3LD₅₀ of <i>Androctonus australis, Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus</i> and <i>Buthus occitanus</i> venoms, but they did not neutralize <i>A. crassicauda</i> and <i>A. mauritanicus</i> venoms. In addition, the anti-HisrAcra4 antibodies did not neutralize any of the five scorpion venoms tested. However, an antibody blend of anti-HisrAcra4 and anti-HisrSccTx was able to neutralize <i>A. crassicauda</i> and <i>A. mauritanicus</i> venoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Two recombinant Nav neurotoxins, from different peptide families, were used as antigens to generate IgGs for neutralizing scorpion venoms of species from the Middle East and North Africa.</p>","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9769139/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10510328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prospecting for candidate molecules from <i>Conus virgo</i> toxins to develop new biopharmaceuticals.","authors":"Anas A Mohamed,&nbsp;Zohour I Nabil,&nbsp;Mohamed S El-Naggar","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2022-0028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2022-0028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A combination of pharmacological and biomedical assays was applied in this study to examine the bioactivity of <i>Conus virgo</i> crude venom in order to determine the potential pharmacological benefit of this venom, and its <i>in vivo</i> mechanism of action.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two doses (1/5 and 1/10 of LC₅₀, 9.14 and 4.57 mg/kg) of the venom were used in pharmacological assays (central and peripheral analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic), while 1/2 of LC₅₀ (22.85 mg/kg) was used in cytotoxic assays on experimental animals at different time intervals, and then compared with control and reference drug groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The tail immersion time was significantly increased in venom-treated mice compared with the control group. Also, a significant reduction in writhing movement was recorded after injection of both venom doses compared with the control group. In addition, only the high venom concentration has a mild anti-inflammatory effect at the late inflammation stage. The induced pyrexia was also decreased significantly after treatment with both venom doses. On the other hand, significant increases were observed in lipid peroxidation (after 4 hours) and reduced glutathione contents and glutathione peroxidase activity, while contents of lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide (after 24 hours) and catalase activity were depleted significantly after venom administration.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results indicated that the crude venom of <i>Conus virgo</i> probably contain bioactive components that have pharmacological activities with low cytotoxic effects. Therefore, it may comprise a potential lead compound for the development of drugs that would control pain and pyrexia.</p>","PeriodicalId":17565,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9761950/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10481729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}