title: Scorpion venom decreases lung liquid clearance in rats.
abstract: It has been reported that scorpion venom causes respiratory failure and pulmonary edema. However, the effects of this toxin on lung edema clearance have not been previously studied. We examined the effects of scorpion (Tityus serrulatus) venom on the ability of the lung to clear fluid and on alveolar epithelial Na,K-ATPase. The wet-to-dry lung weight ratio was increased in anesthetized rats injected intraperitonally with scorpion venom. Lung edema clearance decreased by up to approximately 60% in rats injected with the venom. Na,K-ATPase alpha1- and beta1-subunit protein abundance and activity decreased at the basolateral membranes of alveolar epithelial type II cells incubated with scorpion venom as compared with that of control animals. There was no difference in cell injury in alveolar epithelial type II cells incubated with scorpion venom for 60 minutes compared with that of control animals. We provide here the first evidence that scorpion venom decreases lung liquid clearance, probably by downregulating Na,K-ATPase in the alveolar epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Alejandro P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Comellas
authors.forename: Liuska M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: Zaher
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Azzam
authors.forename: Fernando J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Saldías
authors.forename: Jacob I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Sznajder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010539:Permeability; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012604:Scorpion Venoms; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase