title: Tityus serrulatus venom--A lethal cocktail.
abstract: Tityus serrulatus (Ts) is the main scorpion species of medical importance in Brazil. Ts venom is composed of several compounds such as mucus, inorganic salts, lipids, amines, nucleotides, enzymes, kallikrein inhibitor, natriuretic peptide, proteins with high molecular mass, peptides, free amino acids and neurotoxins. Neurotoxins are considered the most responsible for the envenoming syndrome due to their pharmacological action on ion channels such as voltage-gated sodium (Nav) and potassium (Kv) channels. The major goal of this review is to present important advances in Ts envenoming research, correlating both the crude Ts venom and isolated toxins with alterations observed in all human systems. The most remarkable event lies in the Ts induced massive releasing of neurotransmitters influencing, directly or indirectly, the entire body. Ts venom proved to extremely affect nervous and muscular systems, to modulate the immune system, to induce cardiac disorders, to cause pulmonary edema, to decrease urinary flow and to alter endocrine, exocrine, reproductive, integumentary, skeletal and digestive functions. Therefore, Ts venom possesses toxins affecting all anatomic systems, making it a lethal cocktail. However, its low lethality may be due to the low venom mass injected, to the different venom compositions, the body characteristics and health conditions of the victim and the local of Ts sting. Furthermore, we also described the different treatments employed during envenoming cases. In particular, throughout the review, an effort will be made to provide information from an extensive documented studies concerning Ts venom in vitro, in animals and in humans (a total of 151 references).
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Manuela Berto
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Pucca
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Felipe Augusto
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Cerni
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ernesto Lopes
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Pinheiro Junior
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Karla de Castro Figueiredo
authors.initials: Kde C
authors.lastname: Bordon
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Gobbi
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francielle Almeida
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Heloisa Tavoni
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Longhim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Marroni
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Cremonez
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Guilherme Honda
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: ecabraga@fcfrp.usp.br.
authors.forename: Eliane Candiani
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Arantes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects; D004064:Digestive System / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000187:drug effects; D065008:Scorpion Stings / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D012605:Scorpions / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009498:Neurotoxins; D012604:Scorpion Venoms
keywords: Anatomical systems; Brazilian scorpion; Envenoming; Neurotoxins; Scorpion venom; Tityus serrulatus