Nagaraj Santhosh Kambaiah, Dattatreya Pavana, Boramuthi Thippeswamy Nayaka
Department of Post-graduate Studies and Research in Microbiology, Jnana Sahyadri campus, Kuvempu University, Shivamogga, Karnataka India.
J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis. 2015 Dec 4;21:51. doi: 10.1186/s40409-015-0053-4. eCollection 2015.
Maintenance of scorpions under laboratory conditions is ideal for long-term venom collection to explore the therapeutic applications of scorpion venom. Collection of venom by electrical stimulation requires a reliable stimulator and effective restrainer. Thus, the present study was conducted to develop a convenient method to maintain scorpions and to extract their venom for toxicity studies via a modified restrainer and stimulator.
Four different scorpion species were collected, among which three species were maintained in the laboratory in containers that mimic their natural habitat. Venom was extracted from Hottentotta rugiscutis by electrical stimulation at 8 V for 18 months and LD50 was estimated by the graphic method of Miller and Tainter.
A total of 373 scorpions including Hottentotta rugiscutis, Hottentotta tamulus, Lychas tricarinatus and Heterometrus swammerdami were collected, identified and maintained successfully, achieving a 97 % survival rate. Hottentotta rugiscutis yielded 6.0 mL of venom by electrical stimulation. The LD50 of H. rugiscutis venom was estimated to be 3.02 mg/kg of body weight in female Swiss albino mice.
Scorpions were successfully maintained for 18 months. Herein we have also documented a simple, cost-effective method of venom extraction by electrical stimulation using a modified restrainer. Furthermore, Hottentotta rugiscutis was reported for the first time in Karnataka.
在实验室条件下饲养蝎子对于长期采集毒液以探索蝎毒的治疗应用非常理想。通过电刺激采集毒液需要可靠的刺激器和有效的限制器。因此,本研究旨在开发一种方便的方法来饲养蝎子,并通过改良的限制器和刺激器提取其毒液用于毒性研究。
收集了四种不同的蝎子物种,其中三种在实验室中饲养在模拟其自然栖息地的容器中。通过在8伏电压下电刺激18个月从糙饰钳蝎中提取毒液,并采用米勒和泰因特的图解法估算半数致死量(LD50)。
总共收集、鉴定并成功饲养了373只蝎子,包括糙饰钳蝎、印度红蝎、三棱糙耳孔蝎和帝王蝎,存活率达到97%。通过电刺激,糙饰钳蝎产出了6.0毫升毒液。在雌性瑞士白化小鼠中,糙饰钳蝎毒液的LD50估计为3.02毫克/千克体重。
蝎子成功饲养了18个月。在此,我们还记录了一种使用改良限制器通过电刺激提取毒液的简单、经济高效的方法。此外,糙饰钳蝎在卡纳塔克邦是首次被报道。