title: Cardiovascular effects of scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri) venom.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the cardiovascular activity of Scorpaena plumieri venom in both in vivo and in vitro models. In anesthetized rats, doses of the venom (14-216 microg protein/kg) induced a transient increase in the mean arterial pressure. However at higher dose (338 microg protein/kg) this effect was followed by a sudden hypotension and the animal evolved to death. The heart rate was temporarily increased and followed by bradycardia using doses > or =108 microg/kg. In isolated rat hearts the crude venom (5-80 microg protein) produced dose-dependent positive ventricular chronotropic, inotropic, lusitropic and coronary vasoconstriction responses. Partial purification of an active fraction (CF, cardiovascular fraction) which reproduced the cardiovascular effects induced by crude venom on isolated hearts was achieved by conventional gel filtration chromatography. Adrenergic blockades, prazosin and propranolol, significantly attenuated these responses. The coronary vasoconstriction response to CF was also attenuated by chemical endothelium denudation. In conclusion, the data showed that S. plumieri fish venom induces disorders in the cardiovascular system. It also suggests that alpha(1) and beta-adrenergic receptors, and the vascular endothelium, are involved at least partially, in these cardiac effects.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Marechal Campos 1468, 29040-090 Vitória, ES, Brazil.
authors.forename: Helena L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andrich
authors.forename: Hélder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mauad
authors.forename: Karla N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: De Lima
authors.forename: Suely G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Margareth R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Moysés
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001938:Brazil; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005397:Fish Venoms / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D005397:Fish Venoms; D011506:Proteins; D011433:Propranolol; D011224:Prazosin