%0 Journal Article
%T Pancreatic toxicity in mice elicited by Tityus zulianus and Tityus discrepans scorpion venoms
%A Adolfo Borges
%A Ernesto Trejo
%A Alba Marlene Vargas
%A Ghisleine C谷spedes
%J Investigaci車n Cl赤nica
%D 2004
%I Scientific Electronic Library Online
%X . Envenoming by Tityus discrepans (TD) scorpions in northcentral Venezuela mainly causes pancreatic and gastrointestinal complications whereas the sting by Tityus zulianus (TZ) (western Venezuela) often produces respiratory arrest and death by pulmonary oedema. Since TZ pancreatic toxicity may have been overlooked, a study was carried out to evaluate TZ venom effect on mice pancreas. BALB/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 mg protein/kg of either TD or TZ venoms. A significant increase in serum-amylase activity (IU/mL) was obtained after 3 h (20.6 ㊣ 3.0, p < 0.05) and 6 h (60.4 ㊣ 3.0, p < 0.001) of TZ venom injection compared to saline-inoculated mice. Increased amylase levels were also elicited by TD venom, although these were significantly lower than those induced by TZ. Light microscopy of pancreas from TZ-envenomed mice revealed interstitial oedema and vacuolization of acinar cells as soon as 1 h after injection. Differences in the time course of the pancreatic oedema (wet pancreas weight/body weight ratio) elicited by TD and TZ venoms suggest the existence of species-specific mechanisms for oedema formation. Taken together, these data suggest that the TZ venom contains components highly toxic to the mammalian pancreas, which may play a role in developing TZ-related pulmonary complications. Resumen. El envenenamiento por escorpiones Tityus discrepans (TD) (centro-norte de Venezuela) causa principalmente complicaciones gastrointestinales y pancre芍ticas mientras que el envenenamiento por Tityus zulianus (TZ) (Sur del Lago de Maracaibo) puede producir paro respiratorio y la muerte por edema agudo de pulm車n. En vista que la toxicidad cardiorrespiratoria puede tener su origen en el da o pancre芍tico, este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la pancreatotoxicidad inducida por TZ en ratones BALB/c. Los animales fueron inoculados intraperitonealmente con 0.5 mg de prote赤na/kg de los venenos de TD o TZ. Se registr車 un incremento significativo en la amilasa s谷rica (IU/mL) luego de efectuada la inoculaci車n de TZ a las 3 horas (20,6 ㊣ 3,0, p < 0,05) y 6 horas (60,4 ㊣ 3.0, p < 0,05) en relaci車n a controles inoculados con soluci車n salina. Los niveles s谷ricos de amilasa en ratones inoculados con TD igualmente resultaron incrementados, aunque 谷stos fueron significativamente inferiores a los obtenidos para TZ. Se observ車 mediante microscop赤a de luz, edema intersticial y vacuolizaci車n en p芍ncreas de ratones 1 h luego de efectuado el in車culo con TZ. Las diferencias observadas en el curso temporal del edema pancre芍tico (relaci車n peso h迆medo del p芍ncr
%K Veneno de escorpi車n
%K Tityus
%K pancreatitis
%K Amilasa
%K Scorpion venom
%K Tityus
%K pancreatitis
%K amylase
%U http://wwww.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0535-51332004000300007