Different types of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are expected to occur in vivo, most structure-activity relationship studies have been carried out for just a few neuronal subtypes. The present review enlightens current aspects of venom modulators of nAChRs. Important electronic databases such as PubMed or Google scholar were explored for the collection of latest studies in...

Most spiders use venom to paralyze their prey and are commonly feared for their potential to cause injury to humans. In North America, one species in particular, Loxosceles reclusa (brown recluse spider, Sicariidae), causes the majority of necrotic wounds induced by the Araneae. However, its distributional limitations are poorly understood and, as a result, medical professionals routinely misdi...

This study compiled 33 verified spider bites from the state of Oregon (USA). The initial goal was to amass a series of bites by the hobo spider to assess whether it possesses toxic venom, a supposition which is currently in a contested state. None of the 33 bites from several spider species developed significant medical symptoms nor did dermonecrosis occur. The most common biters were the yello...

Envenomation by Loxosceles spider can result in two clinical manifestations: cutaneous and systemic loxoscelism, the latter of which includes renal failure. Although incidence of renal failure is low, it is the main cause of death, occurring mainly in children. The sphingomyelinase D (SMase D) is the main component in Loxosceles spider venom responsible for local and systemic manifestations. Th...

N Engl J Med 2005;352:700-7. Copyright © 2005 Massachusetts Medical Society. utaneous injury caused by spider venom has been recognized by physicians in the United States only since the late 1950s, with recluse spiders (genus loxosceles) most frequently implicated. During the past five decades, the growing popular belief that spiders cause many cases of skin necrosis in the United States has re...

In 1987, the hobo spider, Tegenaria agrestis, was initially implicated in necrotic lesions in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. This European-origin species has since joined the widow and recluse spiders to become the well-known trio of medically significant spiders in North America. It is currently distributed from British Columbia to Oregon and east to Montana and Colorado, with eas...

Loxoscelism, the term used to describe lesions and clinical manifestations induced by brown spider's venom (Loxosceles genus), has attracted much attention over the last years. Brown spider bites have been reported to cause a local and acute inflammatory reaction that may evolve to dermonecrosis (a hallmark of envenomation) and hemorrhage at the bite site, besides systemic manifestations such a...

Venom based research is exploited to find novel candidates for the development of innovative pharmacological tools, drug candidates and new ingredients for cosmetic and agrochemical industries. Moreover, venomics, as a well-established approach in systems biology, helps to elucidate the genetic mechanisms of the production of such a great molecular biodiversity. Today the advances made in the p...

Spider bite is common, but most spider bite is minor and causes nothing more than local irritation. Bites from brown recluse spiders (Loxosceles reclusa) result in several clinical manifestations, they possess a venom capable of causing painful, disfiguring necrotic ulcers and, uncommonly, severe systemic effects[1-3]. The diagnosis of a spider bite is typically made on historical and epidemiol...

BACKGROUND Brown recluse spider bites cause significant trauma via their tissue toxic venom. Diagnosis of these injuries and envenomation is difficult and many times presumptive. Treatment is varied and dependent upon presentation and course of injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS We present a case of a previously unreported incidence of osteomyelitis of the mandible as a result of a brown recluse s...