The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
Bothropstoxin-I (BthTx-I), a Lys49-PLA 2 from Bothrops jararacussu venom, permeabilizes membranes by a non-hydrolytic Ca 2+ -independent mechanism. The BthTx-I showed activity against liposomes including 10% and 50% negatively charged lipids at pH 7.0, but not at pH 5.0. Nevertheless, ultracentrifugation and FRET demonstrated that at pH 5.0 the BthTx-I is bound to 50% negatively charged...
Two cDNA clones, AplVMP1 and AplVMP2, were isolated from a snake (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) venom gland cDNA library. The full-length cDNA sequence of AplVMP1 with a calculated molecular mass of 46.61kDa is 1233bp in length. AplVMP1 encodes PI class metalloproteinase with an open reading frame of 411 amino acid residues that includes signal peptide, pro-domain and metalloproteinase domains...
A case of clinically significant local envenoming resulting from a bite inflicted by a Western hognose snake, Heterodon nasicus, is described. The patient was bitten while offering a juvenile mouse to a captive snake. The snake maintained a grip on the patient's arm (left anticubital fossa) for several minutes. The bite resulted in marked edema, ecchymoses, lymphadenopathy, cutaneous signs suggestive...
Lipophilic phycotoxins were measured by tandem mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography (LC–MS/MS) in size-fractionated plankton samples taken at five stations in Arica Bay, northern Chile in the southern summer 2007/2008. Pectenotoxins-2 (PTX-2), -11 (PTX-11), -2 seco acid (PTX-2sa) and yessotoxin (YTX) were identified by comparison of retention times and collision-induced mass spectra...
Fusarium mycotoxins, such as trichothecenes and zearalenone, are produced by molds and contaminate a large variety of grains and feedstuffs worldwide. Mycotoxins of Fusarium fungi include the trichothecenes, deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin (T2), and zearalenone, and have been implicated in poor reproductive performance in pigs. However, direct ovarian effects of T2 toxin have not been reported. Therefore,...
To investigate the potential for differential accumulation of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) in various tissues of the akoya pearl oyster, Pinctada imbricata, two feeding trials were carried out using the PST-producing dinoflagellate, Alexandrium minutum. When fed with A. minutum at concentrations between 100 and 1300 cellsml −1 , the maximum clearance by P. imbricata was shown to occur...
We evaluated the effects of deflazacort (DFZ) on muscle regeneration following Bothrops jararacussu envenoming. Tibialis anterior muscle from adult mice was injected with 80μg of venom. Animals received DFZ during 6days. Seven and 60days after envenoming, DFZ lead to a decrease in the total number of muscle fibers and an increase in interstitial fibrosis. We conclude that DFZ treatment may aggravate...
A 115 days feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary cyanobacteria on growth, microcystins (MCs) accumulation in hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus×O. aureus) and the recovery when the fish were free of cyanobacteria. Three experimental diets were formulated: the control (cyanobacteria free diet); one test diet with cyanobacteria from Lake Taihu (AMt, 80.0μg MCs g −1 ...
The toxic effects of Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa were evaluated in guinea pigs by administration of dry leaves during 45 days. Swainsonine and calystegines B 1 , B 2 and C 1 were isolated and quantified. Clinical signs included emaciated and loss of body weight. Histological evaluation demonstrates numerous vacuoles in the cytoplasm of pancreas, liver and renal cells. Vacuolation...
Khuzestan province has the highest rate of scorpion sting in Iran. This is a study to identify these scorpions in Khuzestan. In this study 418 scorpions were kept in the ethyl alcohol 70%, each being studied by stereomicroscopy and diagnosis key separately. 120 (28.7%) Androctonus crassicauda, 104 (24.9%) Hemiscorpius lepturus, 91 (21.7%) Mesobuthus eupeus, 86 (20.65%) Compsobuthus matthiesseni, 14...
Palytoxin (PLT) first isolated from zoanthids is extremely lethal to animals by intraperitoneal or intravenous administration but shows little toxicity by gavage dosing in contradiction to the occurrence of fatal poisoning due to PLT-containing seafood.In order to fully elucidate its potential risks to human we evaluated the toxicological effects via three ways of dosing: gavage, intra-tracheal administration...
In-depth studies on the intra-organismal distribution of toxin may yield valuable clues about potential ecological functions. The distribution of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in previously unexamined tissues of two species of blue-ringed octopuses, wild-caught Hapalochlaena fasciata and Hapalochlaena lunulata from the aquarium industry, was surveyed. Tissues from each individual were examined separately. Tetrodotoxin...
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), a human illness caused by the ingestion of shellfish contaminated with paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), has been reported in Alaska for decades. These poisoning incidents have resulted in losses to local economies due to shellfish harvest closures. Thus the development of an effective biotoxin monitoring program designed specifically for the remote regions of...
The periodical occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwater lakes requires the determination of potential cyanobacterial toxins, especially microcystins (MCs). On demand of an adequate risk assessment, the high diversity of these hepatotoxic cyclic heptapeptides implicates the need of an unambiguous detection of their specific structural variants. Therefore, LC–MS and LC–MS/MS methods are...
The aim of this study was to examine the toxic effects of a microcystin-LR (MCLR)-containing cyanobacteria extract on the subcellular organization of a kidney cell line (Vero-E6). Cells were exposed to different MCLR concentrations (1.3–150μM) for 24, 48 and 72h and two cytotoxicity assays were performed. This information was combined with the analysis of lysosomal, mitochondrial and cytoskeleton...
Nerve growth factor was isolated from the Vipera lebetina venom by a four-step procedure including gel filtration, ion exchange, heparin and hydrophobic chromatography. The purified protein is a glycosylated non-covalently bound homodimer with monomeric molecular mass of 14,380Da. The cDNA encoding NGF is cloned and sequenced. The amino acid sequence translated from the cDNA comprises 117 or 119 amino...
To address the events that modulate membrane-damaging activity of Naja naja atra cardiotoxins (CTXs), the present study was carried out. It was found that CTX isotoxins showed different activities in inducing leakage of vesicles made of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (EYPC)/dimyristoyl phosphatidic acid (DMPA) or EYPC/egg yolk sphingomyelin (EYSM). Although CTXs had different gross conformations, the...
The venom of cone snails (Conus spp.) is a rich source of peptides exhibiting a wide variety of biological activities. Several of these conopeptides are neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonists and belong to the A-, M-, S-, C and the recently described D-superfamily (αD-conopeptides). Here we describe the discovery and characterization of two αD-conopeptides isolated from the...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.