title: Anticonvulsant effects of the wasp Polybia ignobilis venom on chemically induced seizures and action on GABA and glutamate receptors.
abstract: Venoms of spiders and wasps are well recognized to present high affinity to the central nervous tissue of many mammalian species. Here we describe the effects of direct exposure of rat (Rattus norvegicus) brains to the crude and denatured venom of the Brazilian social wasp Polybia ignobilis. Lower doses of crude venom injected via intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) inhibited the exploratory activity of animals, while higher doses provoked severe generalized tonic-clonic seizures, with hind limb extension. The status epilepticus lasted for few minutes leading the animals to respiratory depression and death. In contrast, the denatured venom was anticonvulsant against acute seizures induced by the i.c.v. injection of bicuculline, picrotoxin and kainic acid, but it was ineffective against seizures caused by systemic pentylenetetrazole. Moreover, the [3H]-glutamate binding in membranes from rat brain cortex was inhibited by the denatured venom in lower concentrations than the [3H]-GABA binding. The denatured venom contains free GABA and glutamate (34 and 802 pg/microg of venom, respectively), but they are not the major binding inhibitors. These interactions of venom components with GABA and glutamate receptors could be responsible for the anticonvulsant effects introducing the venom from P. ignobilis as a potential pharmacological source of anticonvulsant drugs.
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology and Venoms Laboratory, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, FFCLRP/USP-Biology, Department of the Faculty of Phylosophy, Sciences and Literature of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 14040-090 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandra Olimpio Siqueira
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Márcia Renata
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mortari
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Ruither Oliveira Gomes
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Carolino
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coutinho-Netto
authors.forename: Wagner Ferreira
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: dos Santos
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism*; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D014862:Wasp Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D014863:Wasps / Q000737:chemistry; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D014862:Wasp Venoms; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid