title: Effects of potassium channel toxins from Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus venom on responses to cromakalim in rabbit blood vessels.
abstract: 1. The effects of fractionated Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus venom on cromakalim-induced 86Rb+ efflux in rabbit aortic smooth muscle were examined. 2. Crude venom (0.1-30 micrograms ml-1) produced a concentration-dependent decrease of 1 microM cromakalim-induced 86Rb+ response. The maximum blocking activity attainable was approximately 60%. 3. Fractionation of crude venom by gel permeation chromatography and subsequent chromatography on a cation ion-exchange column, produced two fractions (X and XI), active in the 86Rb+ blocking assay. 4. Fraction XII contained charybdotoxin (approximately 85% pure). After a final high performance liquid chromatography (h.p.l.c.) purification step, the purified toxin failed to inhibit the cromakalim-stimulated 86Rb+ efflux although it was a potent inhibitor of A23187-induced K+ flux in human erythrocytes and the large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel in rabbit portal vein smooth muscle. 5. Subsequent purification of fraction X by h.p.l.c. yielded a minor peak which contained 86Rb+ blocking activity. This subfraction was also capable of inhibiting apamin-sensitive, angiotensin II-stimulated K+ flux in guinea-pig hepatocytes. 6. It is concluded that the potassium channel opened by cromakalim in rabbit aortic smooth muscle is not blocked by charybdotoxin but by another distinct toxin in the venom of Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus.
authors.affiliation: Jerry Lewis Muscle Research Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Neonatal Medicine, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London.
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Weir
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Beech
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hiestand
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kocher
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects; D001578:Benzopyrans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D019806:Cromakalim; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects*; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001578:Benzopyrans; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D015221:Potassium Channels; D011758:Pyrroles; D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes; D012604:Scorpion Venoms; D019806:Cromakalim; D011188:Potassium