A new procedure for determining the amount of venom ejected by a bite of a poisonous snake was established. The procedure consists of exposing a fresh piece of rabbit muscle to an attack by a poisonous nake, extracting the injected venom from the piece, determining the toxic activity of the extract and calculating the amount of venom ejected. We confirmed that about 90 % of the injected venom w...

The noradrenergic innervation of Bothrops jararaca venom gland is thought to be important in the production and secretion of venom. We investigated the characteristics of the alpha-adrenoceptor in the venom gland and its role in venom production. This receptor had relatively low sensitivity to noradrenaline (pD(2)=4.77+/-0.09, N=7) and to phenylephrine (pD(2)=3.77+/-0.06, N=11). The receptor be...

Suzman (1956) and Suzman, Ruskin, and Goldberg (1955) have confirmed that the incidence of repeated attacks of coronary thrombosis is less in patients undergoing prolonged anticoagulant therapy than in untreated cases. The main objection to anticoagulant therapy, however, is the necessity for strict laboratory control to avoid therapeutically induced haemorrhage. In an editorial in the Lancet (...

Despite numerous studies concerning morphology and venom production and secretion in the main venom gland (and some data on the accessory gland) of the venom glandular apparatus of Viperidae snakes, the primary duct has been overlooked. We characterized the primary duct of the Bothrops jararaca snake by morphological analysis, immunohistochemistry and proteomics. The duct has a pseudostratified...

BACKGROUND Data on outcome of insect venom immunotherapy in children are rare. OBJECTIVE We investigated the rate of sting recurrence and outcome of Hymenoptera venom anaphylaxis in children of different age groups treated with immunotherapy. METHODS Data from children consecutively referred for anaphylaxis to Hymenoptera venom were collected using a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS Du...

Suzman (1956) and Suzman, Ruskin, and Goldberg (1955) have confirmed that the incidence of repeated attacks of coronary thrombosis is less in patients undergoing prolonged anticoagulant therapy than in untreated cases. The main objection to anticoagulant therapy, however, is the necessity for strict laboratory control to avoid therapeutically induced haemorrhage. In an editorial in the Lancet (...

Venoms are chemically complex secretions typically comprising numerous proteins and peptides with varied physiological activities. Functional characterization of venom proteins has important biomedical applications, including the identification of drug leads or probes for cellular receptors. Spiders are the most species rich clade of venomous organisms, but the venoms of only a few species are ...

objective(s): echis carinatus is one of the venomous snakes in iran. the venom of iranian echis carinatus is a rich source of protein with various factors affecting the plasma protein and blood coagulation factor. some of these proteins exhibit types of enzymatic activities. however, other items are proteins with no enzymatic activity.   materials and methods: in order to study the mechanism an...

background : in this study, we investigated the lethal potency, electrophoretic protein pattern and in vivo effects of hottentotta saulcyi scorpion venom in mice. methods : scorpions were collected at night, by using a uv lamp from mardin province, turkey. venom was obtained from mature h. saulcyi scorpions by electrical stimulation of the telson. the lethality of the venom was determined by i....

Objective(s): Scorpion venom has toxic effects on mammals, insects and crustaceans.  Toxicogenic peptides are major contributors to the scorpion venom, which make it toxic. The Hemiscorpius lepturus (H. lepturus) is one of the most common scorpion bites agent, and responsible for 95% of scorpion bite deaths cases in Iran.Materials and Methods:</strong...