title: Loxosceles gaucho venom-induced acute kidney injury--in vivo and in vitro studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accidents caused by Loxosceles spider may cause severe systemic reactions, including acute kidney injury (AKI). There are few experimental studies assessing Loxosceles venom effects on kidney function in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In order to test Loxosceles gaucho venom (LV) nephrotoxicity and to assess some of the possible mechanisms of renal injury, rats were studied up to 60 minutes after LV 0.24 mg/kg or saline IV injection (control). LV caused a sharp and significant drop in glomerular filtration rate, renal blood flow and urinary output and increased renal vascular resistance, without changing blood pressure. Venom infusion increased significantly serum creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase. In the LV group renal histology analysis found acute epithelial tubular cells degenerative changes, presence of cell debris and detached epithelial cells in tubular lumen without glomerular or vascular changes. Immunohistochemistry disclosed renal deposition of myoglobin and hemoglobin. LV did not cause injury to a suspension of fresh proximal tubules isolated from rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Loxosceles gaucho venom injection caused early AKI, which occurred without blood pressure variation. Changes in glomerular function occurred likely due to renal vasoconstriction and rhabdomyolysis. Direct nephrotoxicity could not be demonstrated in vitro. The development of a consistent model of Loxosceles venom-induced AKI and a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the renal injury may allow more efficient ways to prevent or attenuate the systemic injury after Loxosceles bite.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, São José do Rio Preto Medical School, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rui V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Lucato
authors.forename: Regina C R M
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Abdulkader
authors.forename: Katia C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Barbaro
authors.forename: Glória E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Isac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Maria A S F
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Baptista
authors.forename: Patrícia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Cury
authors.forename: Denise M C
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Malheiros
authors.forename: Nestor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schor
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Emmanuel A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Burdmann
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001097:Arachnida / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012079:Renal Circulation; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D014563:Urodynamics
chemical_list: D013111:Spider Venoms