1. Tiger snake antivenom, raised against Notechis scutatus venom, is indicated not only for the treatment of envenomation by this snake, but also that of the copperhead (Austrelaps superbus) and Stephen's banded snake (Hoplocephalus stephensi). The present study compared the neuromuscular pharmacology of venom from these snakes and the in vitro efficacy of tiger snake antivenom. 2. In chick biv...

The present study evaluated the effects of Androctonus amoreuxi scorpion venom, Cerastes cerastes snake venom and their mixture on prostate cancer cells (PC3). An MTT assay was used to determine the anti-proliferative effect of the venoms, while quantitative real time PCR was used to evaluate the expression of apoptosis-related genes (Bax and Bcl-2). Furthermore, colorimetric assays were used t...

It is known that Steatoda (Lityphantes) paykulliana and Latrodectus mactans tredecimguttatus spider venoms are toxic to mammals and insects. These venoms act presynaptically eliciting massive release of transmitters. They also form channels in bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) that are selective for cations. Venoms of both spider species were fractionated by gel filtration on a Sephadex G-100 colum...

Crotalus durissus cumanensis snake venoms from different Venezuelan regions, showed biochemical and hemostatic variations. Fibrino(geno)lytic, hemorrhagic and procoagulant activities and gel-filtration chromatography and SDS-PAGE profiles were analyzed. Differences were observed in fibrinolytic activity: kallikrein-like amidolytic activity was highest in venoms of Santa Teresa, and Margarita. L...

Voltage-gated ion channels generate electrical activity in excitable cells. As such, they are essential components of neuromuscular and neuronal systems, and are targeted by toxins from a wide variety of phyla, including the cnidarians. Here, we review cnidarian toxins known to target voltage-gated ion channels, the specific channel types targeted, and, where known, the sites of action of cnida...

Crude, diluted venoms of Parabuthus transvaalicus and P. granulatus were tested on isolated cardiomyocytes. Ventricular myocytes were subjected to hypercontractility tests and whole-cell voltage clamp. Both venoms had a profound influence on the hypercontractility of cardiomyocytes, which was markedly decreased when they were pre-absorbed with commercial antiserum. Whole-cell clamp results show...

Cnidaria, the sister group to Bilateria, is a highly diverse group of animals in terms of morphology, lifecycles, ecology, and development. How this diversity originated and evolved is not well understood because phylogenetic relationships among major cnidarian lineages are unclear, and recent studies present contrasting phylogenetic hypotheses. Here, we use transcriptome data from 15 newly-seq...

Cnidarians represent an early diverging animal group and thus insight into their origin and diversification is key to understanding metazoan evolution. Further, cnidarian jellyfish comprise an important component of modern marine planktonic ecosystems. Here we report on exceptionally preserved cnidarian jellyfish fossils from the Middle Cambrian (approximately 505 million years old) Marjum Form...

Snakebite envenomation is a serious medical problem in many tropical developing countries and was considered by WHO as a neglected tropical disease. Antivenom (AV), the rational and most effective treatment modality, is either unaffordable and/or unavailable in many affected countries. Moreover, each AV is specific to only one (monospecific) or a few (polyspecific) snake venoms. This demands th...

Crotalus durissus cumanensis, a rattlesnake endemic to Colombia and Venezuela, is considered one of the most lethal snake species in Latin America. The aim of the present study was to compare the protein content and biological activity of the venom obtained from eight specimens of C. durissus cumanensis, namely two adults from different localities of Colombia and six offspring born in captivity...