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Cardiovascular effects of cobra venom
252
ABSTRACTS BHANGANADA, K. and PERKY, J. F., JR . (Dept. Surg., Univ. Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn .) . Cardiovascular effects of cobra venom. J. Amer. Med. Ass., 183, 257, 1963 .
TIC authors have investigated in separate experiments the effects of cobra venom (Naja raja) on cardiac
function and on peripheral circulation in a total of 22 dogs . The results show that the circulatory collapse developed by the envenomed animals is due to loss of peripheral resistance and pooling of blood in the vessels. Cardiac action is impaired as well, leading eventually to cardiac arrest . The mechanism of the effects is not clear, but a central action is ruled out. B.U.
BEttaMarr, R. A. M. (Roy. Trop . Instit ., Amsterdam). The anatomy of some Viperidae (I and II). Acta Morph. Neerl. Scand., 4, 195, 1961 .
DsrvtEn data are presented concerning such features as size, sex ratio, data concerning the reproductive period and activities as well as the anatomical characteristics including size and weight of the organs of adult and juvenile individuals of Trimeresurus gramineus (1) and Vipera russelü (II) . Organ sizes are given in absolute units for males and females as well as in percent of body length. Diagramatic representation of the dispositions of the organs of the male, the female and the gravid female are also given. J.F.G.
Moxoz-PEaIrHUrrEa, C., GOLDBLUM, N., DE VRIES, A. and Glrrex, S. (Rogoff Med. Res. Instit., Beilinson Hospital ., Petah Tikva, Israel) . Detoxification of snake venoms and venom fractions by formaldehyde . Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol . and Med., 112, 595, 1963 .
TIC effect of formaldehyde on the toxicity of Vipera palestinae and Echis colorata and their chromato-
graphic fractions was investigated . The detoxification was found to be pH dependent . Vipera palestinae hemorrhagin was detoxified over a wide pH range, from 5 ~5 to 9 ~2 but its antigenicity was preserved at acidic pH only. The neurotoxin of Vipera palestinae was detoxified by formaldehyde at alkaline pH only. The detoxified neurotoxin was devoid of immunogenic activity. Treatment of Echis colorata venom with formaldehyde over a wide pH range did not result in complete detoxification although its separated hemorrhagins were detoxified . A.D.V.
POON-KING, T. (General Hosp. San Fernando, Trinidad, West Indies). Myocarditis from scorpion stings . Brit . Med. J., 1, 374, 1963 .
A ctrnncat and electrocardiographic study of 45 patients who had been stung by the common scorpion of Trinidad, Tityus trinitatis (Family Buthidae) revealed 34 individuals who exhibited electrocardiographic evidence of myocarditis . There occurred inversion of the T waves in several leads, significant deviation of the RST segment, prolongation of Q-T and conduction defects with complete restoration to normal in three to six days. Pain at the site of the sting, excessive salivation, vomiting, epigastric pain, abdominal tenderness, hyperventilation, and disturbance of the heart rate or rhythm were common clinical findings . D.W.M . ZARAFONEnS, Coals J. D. and Kotas, J. P. (Dept. Med., Univ . Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich .) . Serotonin degradation by homogenates of tissues from Heladerma horridum, the Mexican beaded lizard . Nature, Lond., 195, 707, 1962 .
HAVING previously described the finding of serotonin and of amine oxidase activity in the venom of the beaded lizard, here the authors describe the degradation of serotonin from tissue homogenates of selected organs of this species. Striated muscle, liver, esophagus, stomach, intestine and pancreas were the tissues from which homogenates were prepared . Incubation of serotonin solutions with the tissue homogenates was carried out in vitro for I hr, after which time determination of the residual serotonin was made.
ABSTRACTS BHANGANADA, K. and PERKY, J. F., JR . (Dept. Surg., Univ. Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn .) . Cardiovascular effects of cobra venom. J. Amer. Med. Ass., 183, 257, 1963 .
TIC authors have investigated in separate experiments the effects of cobra venom (Naja raja) on cardiac
function and on peripheral circulation in a total of 22 dogs . The results show that the circulatory collapse developed by the envenomed animals is due to loss of peripheral resistance and pooling of blood in the vessels. Cardiac action is impaired as well, leading eventually to cardiac arrest . The mechanism of the effects is not clear, but a central action is ruled out. B.U.
BEttaMarr, R. A. M. (Roy. Trop . Instit ., Amsterdam). The anatomy of some Viperidae (I and II). Acta Morph. Neerl. Scand., 4, 195, 1961 .
DsrvtEn data are presented concerning such features as size, sex ratio, data concerning the reproductive period and activities as well as the anatomical characteristics including size and weight of the organs of adult and juvenile individuals of Trimeresurus gramineus (1) and Vipera russelü (II) . Organ sizes are given in absolute units for males and females as well as in percent of body length. Diagramatic representation of the dispositions of the organs of the male, the female and the gravid female are also given. J.F.G.
Moxoz-PEaIrHUrrEa, C., GOLDBLUM, N., DE VRIES, A. and Glrrex, S. (Rogoff Med. Res. Instit., Beilinson Hospital ., Petah Tikva, Israel) . Detoxification of snake venoms and venom fractions by formaldehyde . Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol . and Med., 112, 595, 1963 .
TIC effect of formaldehyde on the toxicity of Vipera palestinae and Echis colorata and their chromato-
graphic fractions was investigated . The detoxification was found to be pH dependent . Vipera palestinae hemorrhagin was detoxified over a wide pH range, from 5 ~5 to 9 ~2 but its antigenicity was preserved at acidic pH only. The neurotoxin of Vipera palestinae was detoxified by formaldehyde at alkaline pH only. The detoxified neurotoxin was devoid of immunogenic activity. Treatment of Echis colorata venom with formaldehyde over a wide pH range did not result in complete detoxification although its separated hemorrhagins were detoxified . A.D.V.
POON-KING, T. (General Hosp. San Fernando, Trinidad, West Indies). Myocarditis from scorpion stings . Brit . Med. J., 1, 374, 1963 .
A ctrnncat and electrocardiographic study of 45 patients who had been stung by the common scorpion of Trinidad, Tityus trinitatis (Family Buthidae) revealed 34 individuals who exhibited electrocardiographic evidence of myocarditis . There occurred inversion of the T waves in several leads, significant deviation of the RST segment, prolongation of Q-T and conduction defects with complete restoration to normal in three to six days. Pain at the site of the sting, excessive salivation, vomiting, epigastric pain, abdominal tenderness, hyperventilation, and disturbance of the heart rate or rhythm were common clinical findings . D.W.M . ZARAFONEnS, Coals J. D. and Kotas, J. P. (Dept. Med., Univ . Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich .) . Serotonin degradation by homogenates of tissues from Heladerma horridum, the Mexican beaded lizard . Nature, Lond., 195, 707, 1962 .
HAVING previously described the finding of serotonin and of amine oxidase activity in the venom of the beaded lizard, here the authors describe the degradation of serotonin from tissue homogenates of selected organs of this species. Striated muscle, liver, esophagus, stomach, intestine and pancreas were the tissues from which homogenates were prepared . Incubation of serotonin solutions with the tissue homogenates was carried out in vitro for I hr, after which time determination of the residual serotonin was made.