Effects of venom from black scorpion Androctonus crasicuda (AC) were determined on isolated chick biventer cervices nerve-muscle and mouse hemidiaphragm preparations using twitch tension method. The isolated nerves were stimulated by electrical stimulator and response to each stimulus was recorded. The venom mainly acted prejunctionally to facilitate neuromuscular activity due to an increase in...

BACKGROUND In this paper, paleoparasitological findings from rodent excrements obtained from Chehrabad Salt Mine archeological site located in northwest of Iran are demonstrated and discussed. METHODS Chehrabad Salt Mine archeological site located in northwest of Iran, dated to the Achaemenid (mid 1(st) mill. BCE) and to Sassanid (3(rd) cent. - 7(th) cent. CE) period, is a unique study area t...

A series of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific for the alpha-neurotoxin I (Aah I) from the venom of the dangerous Androctonus australis hector scorpion were obtained using carrier protein-coupled toxin. Competitive RIA, receptor assays and mouse toxicity tests were performed to characterise mAbs in terms of affinity and neutralisation. Cross-reactivity studies and two-site ELISA results allo...

Scorpion venom, containing highly toxic, small polypeptides that diffuse rapidly within the patient, causes serious medical problems. Nanobodies, single-domain antigen-binding fragments derived from dromedary heavy-chain antibodies, have a size that closely matches that of scorpion toxins. Therefore these nanobodies might be developed into potent immunotherapeutics to treat scorpion envenoming....

K(+) channels selectively transport K(+) ions across cell membranes and play a key role in regulating the physiology of excitable and nonexcitable cells. Their activation allows the cell to repolarize after action potential firing and reduces excitability, whereas channel inhibition increases excitability. In eukaryotes, the pharmacology and pore topology of several structural classes of K(+) c...

Scorpion stings on humans are medically relevant because they may contain toxins that specifically target ion channels. During antivenom production, pharmaceutical companies must use a large number of experimental animals to ensure the antivenom's efficacy according to pharmacopeia methods. Here we present an electrophysiological alternative for the evaluation of horse antivenoms produced again...