Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Reviewer acknowledgement 2015
Abstract The authors report a series of events including the scientific interest for poisonous dendrobates of French Guiana, the human confrontation with the immensity of the evergreen rainforest, the fragility of the best-prepared individuals to a rough life, and the unique and very special manifestation of a solid friendship between two experts and enthusiasts of outdoor life. In the evergreen forest of South America, as in many other scientific field expeditions, everything may suddenly go wrong, and nothing can prepare researchers to accidents that may occur in a succession of uncontrollable errors once the first mista...
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - March 9, 2016 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Anticancer properties of phospholipase A2 fromDaboia siamensis venom on human skin melanoma cells
Conclusions This study indicates that dssPLA2 had potential effects of apoptosis, necrosis, cytotoxicity and inhibition of migration on SK-MEL-28 cells. dssPLA2 could possibly be a selective agent that targets cancer cells without affecting normal cells. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - March 9, 2016 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

On frogs, toxins and true friendship: an atypical case report
Abstract The authors report a series of events including the scientific interest for poisonous dendrobates of French Guiana, the human confrontation with the immensity of the evergreen rainforest, the fragility of the best-prepared individuals to a rough life, and the unique and very special manifestation of a solid friendship between two experts and enthusiasts of outdoor life. In the evergreen forest of South America, as in many other scientific field expeditions, everything may suddenly go wrong, and nothing can prepare researchers to accidents that may occur in a succession of uncontrollable errors once the first mista...
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - February 20, 2016 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Anti-leptospirosis agglutinins in Brazilian capybaras (hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)
Conclusions These results suggest the evidence of exposure toLeptospira spp. and the need of new studies to evaluate a higher number of capybaras from different regions to better understand the importance of leptospirosis infection in these animals and verify the zoonotic role of this species as a possible source of infection to humans and other animals. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - February 20, 2016 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Cloning and purification of the first termicin-like peptide from the cockroach Eupolyphaga sinensis
Conclusions This is the first report of a termicin-like peptide isolated from E. sinensis that belongs to the insect order Blattodea. Our results demonstrate the diversity of termicin-like peptides, as well as antimicrobial peptides in insects. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - February 20, 2016 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

FabAV antivenin use after copperhead snakebite: clinically indicated or knee-jerk reaction?
Conclusions Considerable variation occurs in antivenin administration after copperhead snakebite. Use of FabAV appears poorly correlated with patients’ symptoms. This practice may expose patients to the risks of antivenin and increasing costs of medical care without improving outcomes. Guidelines used for treating other pit viper strikes, such as rattlesnake or cottonmouth snakebite may be too liberal for copperhead envenomations. Our data suggests that most patients with mild or moderate envenomation appear to do well independent of FabAV use. We suggest, for patients with copperhead snakebite, that consideration be gi...
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - February 20, 2016 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Melittin induces in vitro death of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum by triggering the cellular innate immune response
Conclusions The results showed that melittin acts in vitro against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania (L.) infantum. Furthermore, they can act indirectly on intracellular amastigotes through a macrophage immunomodulatory effect. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - February 20, 2016 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Potential envenomation by the aglyphous pseudoxyrhophiine snake Leioheterodon madagascariensis and description of its dentition
We report on a case of potential envenomation caused by multiple bites by the aglyphous opisthodont snake Leioheterodon madagascariensis in the left thumb of a healthy adult man, which is among the most serious snakebites hitherto reported from Madagascar. The adult snake (total length > 1 meter) was unusually aggressive before and during capture. The symptoms included extensive bleeding, severe local pain, and substantial swelling of the hand and the distal part of the lower arm. The swelling disappeared entirely after five days, but pain in the thumb (when moved) was recognizable even longer. Although L. madagascarien...
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - December 22, 2015 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

In vitro activity of phospholipase A 2 and of peptides from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom against amastigote and promastigote forms of Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi
Conclusion We have demonstrated the in vitro leishmanicidal activity of the PLA2 and peptide fraction ofCrotalus venom. The results encourage further studies to describe the metabolic pathways involved in cell death, as well as the prospecting of molecules with antiparasitic activity present in the peptide fraction of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - December 22, 2015 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Immunomodulatory activity of Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom on human T lymphocytes
Conclusions TsV is a potential source of molecules with immunomodulatory action on human T lymphocytes. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - December 22, 2015 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

The epidemiology of scorpion stings in tropical areas of Kermanshah province, Iran, during 2008 and 2009
Conclusions Due to the relatively high incidence of scorpion stings in tropical areas of Kermanshah, it is recommended that the inhabitants be educated through the mass media about how to prevent the stings and apply preliminary treatment. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - December 22, 2015 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Antitumor potential of the myotoxin BthTX-I from Bothrops jararacussu snake venom: evaluation of cell cycle alterations and death mechanisms induced in tumor cell lines
Conclusions These results suggest that BthTX-I presents antitumor properties that may be useful for developing new therapeutic strategies against cancer. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - December 22, 2015 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Natural infection of phlebotomines (Diptera: Psychodidae) by Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in an area of ecotourism in Central-Western Brazil
Conclusions As Bi. flaviscutellata is only slightly attracted by humans, the transmission of L. amazonensis in the study area may have a zoonotic character; however, the sympatric occurrence of this parasite andLu. longipalpis should be taken into consideration by the local health authorities since this sand fly has already been found with L. amazonensis DNA in a focus of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Bonito municipality. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - November 17, 2015 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Allosteric interactions between receptor site 3 and 4 of voltage-gated sodium channels: a novel perspective for the underlying mechanism of scorpion sting-induced pain
Conclusions Our results indicated that site-4 toxin (BmK IT2) could enhance the pharmacological effect induced by site-3 toxin (BmK I), suggesting a stronger effect elicited by both toxins that alone usually exhibit opposite pharmacological effects, which is related to the allosteric interaction between receptor site 3 and site 4. Meanwhile, these results may bring a novel perspective for exploring the underlying mechanisms of scorpion sting-induced pain. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - November 17, 2015 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research

Catostylus tagi: partial rDNA sequencing and characterisation of nematocyte structures using two improvements in jellyfish sample preparation
Conclusions The optimisation of sample preparation for DNA extraction may facilitate further studies on little known jellyfish species. The improvement of the smear procedure simplified the use of stained reactions in zooplankton. Moreover, it was shown that good slide images might be acquired manually. The development of specific reactions, with traditional dyes and others, can give important contributions to clarify the chemical nature of the components of nematocytes. The characterisation of nematocyst toxins by staining tests is a goal to achieve. (Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases)
Source: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases - November 17, 2015 Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research