title: In vitro studies with renal proximal tubule cells show direct cytotoxicity of Androctonus australis hector scorpion venom triggered by oxidative stress, caspase activation and apoptosis.
abstract: Scorpion envenomation injures a number of organs, including the kidney. Mechanisms proposed to explain the renal tubule injury include direct effects of venom on tubule epithelial cells, as well as indirect effects of the autonomic nervous system, and inflammation. Here, we report direct effects of Androctonus australis hector (Aah) scorpion venom on the viability of Renal Proximal Tubule (RPT) cells in vitro, unlike distal tubule and collecting duct cells. Extensive NucGreen nuclear staining was observed in immortalized rabbit RPT cells following treatment with Aah venom, consistent with cytotoxicity. The involvement of oxidative stress is supported by the observations that 1) anti-oxidants mitigated the Aah venom-induced decrease in the number of viable RPT cells, and 2) Aah venom-treated RPT cells were intensively stained with the CellROX(®) Deep Red reagent, an indicator of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Relevance to normal RPT cells is supported by the red fluorescence observed in Aah venom treated primary rabbit RPT cell cultures following their incubation with the Flica reagent (indicative of caspase activation and apoptosis), and the green fluorescence of Sytox Green (indicative of dead cells).
authors.affiliation: Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Hourari Boumediene (USTHB), Faculty of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, BP32, El Alia, Bab Ezzouar 16111, Algiers, Algeria.
authors.forename: Chanez
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saidani
authors.affiliation: Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Hourari Boumediene (USTHB), Faculty of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, BP32, El Alia, Bab Ezzouar 16111, Algiers, Algeria.
authors.forename: Djelila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hammoudi-Triki
authors.affiliation: Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Hourari Boumediene (USTHB), Faculty of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, BP32, El Alia, Bab Ezzouar 16111, Algiers, Algeria.
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laraba-Djebari
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA. Electronic address: biochtau@buffalo.edu.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taub
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011817:Rabbits; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D012605:Scorpions
chemical_list: D012604:Scorpion Venoms; D020169:Caspases
keywords: Aah; Apoptosis; Oxidative stress; Renal proximal tubule; Scorpion venom