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Amr ZS, Abu Baker MA, Al-Saraireh M, Warrell DA. Scorpions and scorpion sting envenoming (scorpionism) in the Arab Countries of the Middle East. Toxicon 2020; 191:83-103. [PMID: 33387549 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The twelve Arab countries of the Middle East are inhabited by 117 species of scorpions of varying medical importance within six families. Scorpion stings are a very common occurrence throughout the region. Twenty-two scorpion species are considered to be dangerously venomous, causing potentially life threatening stings. Accessible literature in English and Arabic on scorpions, scorpion stings and available antivenoms was reviewed to document the scorpion fauna and scorpion stings in each country. Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Jordan report the highest numbers of stings and envenomings. Clinically, the most important toxins in Old World scorpion venoms are α-toxins that target voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels at neurotoxin binding site 3, causing sympathetic excitation and the endogenous release of catecholamines that is responsible for transient, but life-threatening myocardial damage. Most victims of scorpion stings suffer severe local pain, but a few, especially children, develop systemic envenoming which, in the case of most Middle Eastern buthid species, such as Androctonus and Leiurus species, is dominated by the cardiovascular and respiratory consequences of hypercatecholinaemic myocarditis. Other syndromes include paralysis (Parabuthus leiosoma), coagulopathy (Nebo hierichonticus and Hemiscorpius species), and local tissue damage, haemolysis and acute kidney injury (H. lepturus). Early antivenom treatment is recommended but its value remains controversial. However, intensive care, with the ancillary use of vasoactive drugs such as prazosin and dobutamine, has proved effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuhair S Amr
- Biology Department, Jordan University for Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
| | | | | | - David A Warrell
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Valdez-Velazquéz LL, Romero-Gutierrez MT, Delgado-Enciso I, Dobrovinskaya O, Melnikov V, Quintero-Hernández V, Ceballos-Magaña SG, Gaitan-Hinojosa MA, Coronas FI, Puebla-Perez AM, Zamudio F, De la Cruz-García I, Vázquez-Vuelvas OF, Soriano-Hernandez AD, Possani LD. Comprehensive analysis of venom from the scorpion Centruroides tecomanus reveals compounds with antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and insecticidal activities. Toxicon 2016; 118:95-103. [PMID: 27130039 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.04.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Centruroides tecomanus is a medically important scorpion of the state of Colima (Mexico). This communication reports the identification of venom components of this scorpion with biological activity over insects/crickets (Acheta domestica), crustaceans/fresh water shrimps (Cambarellus montezumae), and mammalians/mice (Mus musculus, strain CD1). It also describes the pharmacological effects on cell lines in culture (L5178Y cells, HeLa cells, HuTu cells and Jurkat E6-1 cells), as well as on several types of bacteria (see below). The soluble venom of this scorpion was fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and collected separately in twelve independent fractions collected over 60 min run (5 min time apart each other). The HPLC components of fraction VII were lethal to all three species used for assay. The IVth fraction had a toxic effect on freshwater shrimps. In this species, fractions VI, VII and VIII were all lethal. For crickets, fractions V and VI were toxic and fraction VII was lethal. In mouse, the lethal components were found in fraction VII, whereas fraction VIII was toxic, but not lethal, at the doses assayed. The molecular weight of peptides from the various group of fractions were identified by mass spectrometry determination. Components lethal to mice showed molecular weights from 7013 to 7487 Da. Two peptides were obtained in homogeneous form and shown to be lethal to the three species of animal used for assay. The soluble venom tested on L5178Y cell line survival was shown to be cytotoxic, at 10-100 μg/mL concentration, when compared to control murine splenocytes (p = 0.007). The soluble venom applied to Hela, Hutu and Jurkat cell lines did not show cytotoxic effects at these concentrations. On the contrary, it seems to have a proliferative effect. However the HPLC fractions I, III, VI and XII do have a cytotoxic effect on Jurkat E06-1 cells in culture at 200 μg/mL concentration. The antimicrobial activity of the venom fractions on Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive), Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Salmonella spp (gram-negative) was measured, using the liquid inhibition growth system. The four strains of bacteria used were susceptible to fractions III and IV, affecting all four bacterial strains at concentrations below 5 μg/mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- L L Valdez-Velazquéz
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Kilometro 9 Carretera Colima-Coquimatlan, Código Postal 28400, Coquimatlan, Colima, Mexico; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Colima, Av. Universidad 333, Colonia las Viboras, Código Postal 28040, Colima, Mexico.
| | - M T Romero-Gutierrez
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Colima, Av. Universidad 333, Colonia las Viboras, Código Postal 28040, Colima, Mexico
| | - I Delgado-Enciso
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Kilometro 9 Carretera Colima-Coquimatlan, Código Postal 28400, Coquimatlan, Colima, Mexico; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Colima, Av. Universidad 333, Colonia las Viboras, Código Postal 28040, Colima, Mexico
| | - O Dobrovinskaya
- Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad de Colima, Av. 25 de Julio 965, Código Postal 28045, Colima, Mexico
| | - V Melnikov
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Colima, Av. Universidad 333, Colonia las Viboras, Código Postal 28040, Colima, Mexico
| | - V Quintero-Hernández
- CONACYT Research Fellow - Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular Microbiana, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas-Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Ciudad Universitaria, Código Postal 72570, Puebla, Mexico
| | - S G Ceballos-Magaña
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Colima, c/Bernal Díaz del Castillo 340, Código Postal 28045, Colima, Mexico
| | - M A Gaitan-Hinojosa
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Kilometro 9 Carretera Colima-Coquimatlan, Código Postal 28400, Coquimatlan, Colima, Mexico
| | - F I Coronas
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - A M Puebla-Perez
- Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas, Blvd. Gral. Marcelino García Barragán 1421, Olímpica, Apartado Postal 44430, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - F Zamudio
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - I De la Cruz-García
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Kilometro 9 Carretera Colima-Coquimatlan, Código Postal 28400, Coquimatlan, Colima, Mexico
| | - O F Vázquez-Vuelvas
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Kilometro 9 Carretera Colima-Coquimatlan, Código Postal 28400, Coquimatlan, Colima, Mexico
| | - A D Soriano-Hernandez
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Colima, Av. Universidad 333, Colonia las Viboras, Código Postal 28040, Colima, Mexico
| | - L D Possani
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
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