Many snake venoms comprise different factors, which can either promote or inhibit the blood coagulation pathway. Coagulation disorders and hemorrhage belong to the most prominent features of bites of the many vipers. A number of these factors interact with components of the human blood coagulation. This study is focused on the effect of Echis carinatus snake venom on blood coagulation pathway. ...

Some of the world's most dangerous spiders have been certified in some areas of Iran. Spider bites are common in some geographical areas, and are sporadic in some regions. Spider bites can be classified as latrodectism or loxoscelism. If the patient had not seen the spider, the clinical manifestations of latrodectism could be easily mistaken for other types of bite or sting; or an infectious di...

Hemoscorpius lepturus is the most medically important scorpion in Iran. The clinical signs of H. lepturus envenomation are remarkably similar to those reported for brown spiders, including dermonecrosis, hematuria, renal failure and even death. The lethality and toxicity of brown spiders' venom have been attributed to its phospholipase D activity. This study aims to identify a phospholipase D w...

Hemiscorpius lepturus (H. lepturus) is one of the most dangerous scorpions in Iran. Intramuscular administration (IM) of available Razi antivenom to H. lepturus venom is used by many of Iranian clinicians. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the efficiency of IM route for treatment of envenomed patients by H. lepturus. We compared the pharmacokinetics parameters of venom and ant...

Scorpions are generally an important source of bioactive components, including toxins and other small peptides as attractive molecules for new drug development. Mesobuthus eupeus, from medically important and widely distributed Buthidae family, is the most abundant species in Iran. Researchers are interesting on the gland of this scorpion due to the complexity of its venom. Here, we have analyz...

Snake venoms contain a rich variety of factors which affect blood coagulation. There have been few reports on the anticoagulant activity of the venom of different cobras, but no such observations have been made on the Iranian cobra, although a procoagulant factor has been described. In this study an anticoagulant factor has been purified from the venom of Naja naja oxiana using gel filtrat...

Integrins are essential protagonists of the complex multi-step process of angiogenesis that has now become a major target for the development of anticancer therapies. We recently reported and characterized that MVL-PLA2, a novel phospholipase A2 from Macrovipera lebetina venom, exhibited anti-integrin activity. In this study, we show that MVL-PLA2 also displays potent anti-angiogenic properties...

Background: The snake, Echis carinatus, one of the most venomous snakes in Asia, possesses a deadly hemotoxic venom. It has been reported that suramin, an anti-trypansomiasis drug, can inhibit the toxic effects of some snake venoms. This study was conducted to evaluate the possible antagonistic effects of suramin against the hemorrhagic activity of the venom from an Iranian snake, Echis carinat...