title: Neurotoxicological effects of a thrombin-like enzyme isolated from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom (preliminary study).
abstract: A thrombin-like enzyme, purified from the venom of Crotalus durissus terrificus by gel filtration and affinity chromatography, showed a single protein band in Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) with a molecular weight of about 33kDa. Clear cellular morphological changes, deep ganglioside level modifications in some brain areas and behavioral alterations in pup rats injected with this protein were detected. Ganglioside composition, one of the chemical markers of brain maturation, was altered specially in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The most reliable behavioral effects were a delayed, maturation of the righting reflex, posture and motor response after treatment. These effects were consistent with the histological changes revealed in the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex of treated neonate rats, areas related to motor activities.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina.
authors.forename: Raquel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ruiz de Torrent
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bongiovanni
authors.forename: Laura C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Leiva
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Evangelista de Duffard
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Ofelia C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Acosta de Pérez
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duffard
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D017839:Crotalus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000378:metabolism; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D005732:Gangliosides; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases