title: Consequences ofAndroctonus mauretanicusandButhus occitanusscorpion venoms on electrolyte levels in rabbits.
abstract: Androctonus mauretanicus(A. mauretanicus) andButhus occitanus(B. occitanus) scorpions, which belong to theButhidaefamily, are the most venomous scorpions in Morocco. For the first time, we investigated the effects of such scorpion venoms on serum electrolytes in subcutaneously injected rabbits. For this purpose, 3 groups of 6 albinos adult male rabbits (New Zealand) were used in this experiment. Two of the groups were given a single subcutaneous injection of either crude Am venom (5 μg/kg) or Bo venom (8 μg/kg) whereas the third group (control group) only received physiological saline solution (NaCl 0.9%). The blood samples were collected from injected rabbits via the marginal vein at time intervals of 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h and 24 h after venom injection. The concentrations of electrolytes in the serum samples were measured. Our study indicates that scorpion envenomationin vivo, rabbit animal model, caused severe and persistent hypomagnesaemia and hypochloremia, which are accompanied of hypernatremia, hyperkalemia and hypercalcaemia. The intensity of electrolytes imbalance was clearly superior in the case ofA. mauretanicusscorpion venom (although a lower quantity of venom was injected). This is coherent with the experimental data which indicate thatA. mauretanicusvenom is more toxic thanB. occitanusvenom.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca, 20360, Morocco; Laboratory of Physiology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Daoudi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca, 20360, Morocco.
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chgoury
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca, 20360, Morocco.
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezzak
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca, 20360, Morocco.
authors.forename: Oussama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bourouah
authors.affiliation: Experimental Centre, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca, 20360, Morocco.
authors.forename: Lotfi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boussadda
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors.forename: Abdelaziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soukri
authors.affiliation: Laboratory INSERM UMR 1097, University of Aix-Marseille, 163, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Avenue de Luminy, Bâtiment TPR2, Case 939, Marseille 13288, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sabatier
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca, 20360, Morocco.
authors.forename: Naoual
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oukkache
keywords: Biochemistry; Toxicology