A study on the experimental envenomation in mice with the venom of tityus trivitattus kraepelin 1898 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) captured in Argentina

24. DE ROODT AR; GIMENO EJ; PORTIANSKY EL; VARNI L; DOLAB JA; SEGRE L; LITWIN S; VIDAL JC

JOURNAL OF NATURAL TOXINS

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Año: 2001 vol. 10 p. 99 - 109

1058-8108

Although Tityus trivitattus is lhe only scorpion species reported to cause severe human envenomation in Argentina, no previous studies on its venom have been done. Telson homogenates from T. trivitattus specimens collected in Santiago del Estero, Cordoba, and Buenos Aires were employed to study their protein composition and toxicity to mice. Regardless of the site of collection, electrophoretic analysis showed bands at 205, 150, 100, 40, 32, and 13 kDa or smaller. FPLC gel filtration showed three majar peaks and 6-8 minar peaks with similar elution volumes. One of the minar peaks from FPLC containing a component of - 8 kDa was letbal to mice. Mice injected intravenously witb different doses of homogenates presented severe autonomic signs like tachypnea, tachycardia, sialorrhea, lacrimation, profusesweating, diarrhea, dyspnea, and deatb. Pathology studies of lungs showed severe congestion of alveolar capillaries, pulmonary edema, and hemorrhagic areas. Tbe kidneys showed glomerular as well as tubular lesions and exocrine glands showed areas of necrosis. The caJculated LD50 was 0.38 :t 0.08 telsons per 20 g mouse, which suggests a lethal potency similar to that of T. serrulatus venom. The lethal potency of 5.0 LD50 of T. trivitattus telson homogenate was neutralized by botb an anti-T. trivitattus and a hete rologous anti Tityus with ED50 values of 41 :t 19 and 170 :t 42 111, respectively.