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Edematogenic Activity of Scorpion Venoms from the Buthidae Family and the Role of Platelet-Activating Factor and Nitric Oxide in Paw Edema Induced by Tityus Venoms

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Abstract

We compared the edematogenic activity of venoms of scorpions from the Buthidae family, Tityus bahiensis (Tbv), Tityus serrulatus (Tsv) and Rhopalurus rochai (Rrv). Three doses (20, 40 and 80 μg/kg sc) of each venom were administrated in hind paw of mice and edema was measured from 5 min to 24 h. Tbv and Tsv both induced edema of rapid onset (135% of increase at 15 min); Rrv induced only a mild edema (40% of increase). We then investigated the involvement of platelet-activating factor (PAF) and endogenous nitric oxide (NO) in Tbv and Tsv-induced paw edema. Pretreatment of mice with a PAF antagonist (WEB-2170) inhibited Tsv but not Tbv-induced edema. Pretreatment with a non selective inhibitor of NO-synthases (l-NAME) inhibited or increased the edema depending on the dose and the time the edema was measured. In conclusion, the venoms from Tityus are stronger inducers of edema than the venom from the Rhopalurus scorpion. The venoms of Tityus species are similar in potency and time-course edema development. PAF is involved in the edema induced only by Tsv.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, grant 05/00846-0) and Fundação de Amparo ao Ensino e Pesquisa (FAEP) for their support. The authors also wish to thanks to Dr. Catarina de Fátima Pereira Teixeira and Dr. Rodrigo Álvaro Brandão Lopes Martins.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Bioquímica, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes (CIIB-UMC), Sala 1S15, prédio 1, Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida Souza, 200, CEP: 08780-911, Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil

    D. N. Severino, R. L. Pereira & F. H. Kwasniewski

  2. Laboratório de Artrópodes, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    I. Knysak & D. M. Cândido

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  1. D. N. Severino
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  2. R. L. Pereira
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  3. I. Knysak
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  4. D. M. Cândido
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  5. F. H. Kwasniewski
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Correspondence to F. H. Kwasniewski.

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Severino, D.N., Pereira, R.L., Knysak, I. et al. Edematogenic Activity of Scorpion Venoms from the Buthidae Family and the Role of Platelet-Activating Factor and Nitric Oxide in Paw Edema Induced by Tityus Venoms. Inflammation 32, 57–64 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-008-9102-2

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