Moreira E G, Nascimento N, Rosa G J, Rogero J R, Vassilieff V S
Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Brasil.
Braz J Med Biol Res. 1996 May;29(5):629-32.
Crotoxin is the major component of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. In view of the presence of high-affinity specific binding sites for crotoxin in the brain, the objective of this work was to investigate whether crotoxin induces behavioral effects in the open-field and hole-board tests. Adult male Wistar rats (180-220 g) treated with crotoxin, 100, 250 and 500 micrograms/kg, ip, administered 2 h before the test, presented statistically significant behavioral alterations (ANOVA for one-way classification complemented with Dunnet test, P < 0.05). In the open-field test, 250 and 500 micrograms/kg of crotoxin increased freezing (from 3.22 sec to 10.75 sec and 11.2 sec) and grooming (from 13.44 sec to 22.75 sec and 21.22 sec) and decreased ambulation (from 64.8 to 39.38 and 45.8). The dose of 500 micrograms/kg also decreased rearing (from 24.9 to 17.5). In the hole-board test, 500 micrograms/kg of crotoxin decreased head-dip count (from 6.33 to 4.00). All the crotoxin-induced behavioral effects were antagonized by an anxiolytic dose of diazepam (1.5 mg/kg, ip. 30 min before the tests). These results show that crotoxin reduced open-field activity and exploratory behavior as well. We suggest that these effects express an increased emotional state induced by this toxin.
响尾蛇毒素是南美巨蝮蛇毒的主要成分。鉴于大脑中存在响尾蛇毒素的高亲和力特异性结合位点，本研究的目的是调查响尾蛇毒素在旷场试验和洞板试验中是否会诱发行为效应。成年雄性Wistar大鼠（180 - 220克）在试验前2小时腹腔注射100、250和500微克/千克的响尾蛇毒素，出现了具有统计学意义的行为改变（单向分类方差分析并辅以Dunnet检验，P < 0.05）。在旷场试验中，250和500微克/千克的响尾蛇毒素增加了静止时间（从3.22秒增加到10.75秒和11.2秒）和理毛时间（从13.44秒增加到22.75秒和21.22秒），并减少了行走距离（从64.8减少到39.38和45.8）。500微克/千克的剂量还减少了竖尾次数（从24.9减少到17.5）。在洞板试验中，500微克/千克的响尾蛇毒素减少了探洞次数（从6.33减少到4.00）。所有响尾蛇毒素诱导的行为效应都被抗焦虑剂量的地西泮（1.5毫克/千克，腹腔注射，试验前30分钟）所拮抗。这些结果表明，响尾蛇毒素降低了旷场活动和探索行为。我们认为这些效应表明这种毒素诱发了情绪状态的增加。
