title: Use of chick biventer cervicis muscle in the bioassay of alpha-latrotoxin from black widow spider venom.
abstract: alpha-Latrotoxin purified from black widow spider venom caused a sustained contraction of the chick biventer cervicis muscle. Muscle response to exogenous acetylcholine was not impaired. The time to reach half maximal contracture height was reproducible with small variations and can be used to quantitate the activity of alpha-LTX preparations.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001180:Arthropod Venoms / Q000032:analysis*; D001681:Biological Assay; D001740:Black Widow Spider; D002645:Chickens; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001180:Arthropod Venoms; D013111:Spider Venoms; C020763:alpha-latrotoxin