Abstract
The intravenous injection of purified scorpion toxin (tityustoxin, TsTX) into unanesthetized rats induces a severe systemic hypertension followed by a hemorrhagic edema of the lungs. The edema is focal or diffuse, whereas the hemorrhage is always focal and less prominent than the edema. Anesthesia of the rats prevents the appearance of pulmonary edema. It seems likely that this protective action of the anesthesia is due, at least in part, to an interference with the hypertension induced by TsTX. The pulmonary edema is prevented by bilateral adrenalectomy, guanethidine or phenoxybenzamine. It is suggested that the edema depends on a sympathetic-adrenal discharge and that catecholamines released by TsTX act onalpha adrenergic receptors. The mean kininogen content of the rat plasma, 1 h after TsTX injection, is not significantly different from that found in the control animals. The possible role played by kinins and other mediators in the early phases of the pulmonary edema induced by TsTX is under investigation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
E.F. Barros,Aspectos clínicos da intoxicação escorpiônica, Mem. Inst. Biol. Ezequiel Dias2, 101–287 (1938).
M. Gueron andR. Yarom,Cardiovascular Manifestations of Severe Scorpion Sting, Chest57, 156–172 (1970).
M. Gueron, J. Stern andW. Cohen,Severe Myocardial Damage and Heart Failure in Scorpion Sting, Am. J. Cardiol.19, 719–726 (1967).
O. Magalhães,Escorpionismo, Monog. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz3, 1–220 (1946).
O. Magalhães andA. Tupynambá,Escorpionismo, Hospital16, 1–37 (1940).
C.R.R.M. Reddy, G. Syvarnakumari, C.S. Devi andC.N. Reddy,Pathology of Scorpion Venom Poisoning, J. Trop. Med. Hyg.75, 98–100 (1972).
H.L. Stamnke,The Arizona Scorpion Problem, Ariz. Med.7, 23–29 (1950).
J.A. Waterman,Some Notes on Scorpion Poisoning in Trinidad, Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg.31, 607–624 (1938).
E.M. Bertke andJ.H. Atkins,Effects of Centruroides sculpturatus Venom upon Rat Tissue: a Histopathologic Study, Toxicon2, 205–209 (1964).
O. Magalhães,Escorpionismo, III Memoria, Ann. Fac. Med. Belo Horizonte1, 1–52 (1935).
M.A. Rossi, A.L. Ferreira andS.M. Paiva,Fine Structures of Pulmonary Changes Induced by Brazilian Scorpion Venom, Arch. Pathol.97, 284–288 (1974).
R. Yarom andK. Braun,Cardiovascular Effects of Scorpion Venom, Morphological Changes in the Myocardium, Toxicon8, 41–46 (1970).
L. Freire-Maia andH.O. Almeida,Mecanismo do edema pulmonar produzido pela tityustoxina no rato, Cienc. Cult. S. Paulo28 (suppl.), 552–553 (1976).
C.R. Diniz andI.F. Carvalho,A Micro-Method for Determination of Bradykininogen under Several Conditions, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci.104, 77–89 (1963).
L.J.P. Dechy andJ. Saint-Blancard,Evaluation du bradykininogène plasmatique (modification de la microméthode de Diniz et Carvalho), Ann. Pharm. Fr.24, 711–716 (1966).
M.V. Gomez andC.R. Diniz,Separation of Toxic Components from the Brazilian Scorpion — Tityus serrulatus — Venom, Mem. Inst. Butantan33, 899–902 (1966).
L. Freire-Maia andC.R. Diniz,Pharmacological Action of a Purified Scorpion Toxin in the Rat, Toxicon8, 132 (1970).
L. Freire-Maia, G.I. Pinto andI. Franco,Mechanism of the Cardiovascular Effects Produced by Purified Scorpion Toxin in the Rat, J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther.188, 207–213 (1974).
L. Freire-Maia, V.P. Costa-Val, W.L. Tafuri, A.D. Azevedo, T.A. Maria, J.R. Cunha Melo, G.I. Pinto andI. Franco,Scorpion Toxin, an Important Tool for Physiological Research, Proc. Int. Union Physiol. Sci.9, 186 (1971).
J. Moss, T. Kazic, D.P. Henry andI. Kopin,Scorpion Venom-Induced Discharge of Catecholamines Accompanied by Hypertension, Brain Res.54, 381–385 (1973).
M.B. Visscher, F.J. Haddy andG. Stevens,The Physiology and Pharmacology of the Lung Edema, Pharmacol. Rev.8, 389–434 (1956).
G.M. Böhm,Vascular Permeability Changes During Experimentally Produced Pulmonary Edema in Rats, J. Pathol.92, 151–161 (1966).
M. Katori, S. Mineshita andT. Shigei,Depletion of Kininogen I by Stem Bromelain and its Significance in Prevention of Adrenaline-Induced Pulmonary Edema in Rats, Advanc. exp. Med. Biol.8, 273–292 (1970).
M.P. Oliveira Antonio, F. Fernandes, J.A. Gonçalves, Jr. andM. Rocha e Silva,Pharmacological Analysis of the Mediators Involved in the Acute Pulmonary Edema Produced in Rats by Adrenaline, Agents and Actions,3, 383 (1973).
A.M. Rothschild andA. Castania,Contribution of Vasopressor and Plasma Kininogen Changes Towards Acute Adrenaline Pulmonary Edema in the Rat, Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch. Pharmakol.295, 177–181 (1976).
T. Poon-King,Myocarditis from Scorpion Stings, Br. Med. J.1, 374–377 (1963).
R. Yarom, S. Yallon, F. Notowitz andK. Braun,Reversible Myocardial Damage by Scorpion Venom in Perfused Rat Hearts, Toxicon12, 347–351 (1974).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Freire-Maia, L., Almeida, H.O., Cunha-Melo, J.R. et al. Mechanism of the pulmonary edema induced by intravenous injection of scorpion toxin in the rat. Agents and Actions 8, 113–118 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01972412
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01972412