Fourteen new species and notes on the genera Amauropelma Raven, Stumkat & Gray, 2001 and Bowie Jäger, 2022 (Arachnida: Araneae: Ctenidae) from Southeast Asia

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  Fourteen new species and notes on the genera Amauropelma Raven, Stumkat & Gray, 2001 and Bowie Jäger, 2022 (Arachnida: Araneae: Ctenidae) from Southeast Asia Abstract Material of the spider family Ctenidae from Southeast Asia is investigated. Ten new species of the genus Amauropelma Raven, Stumkat & Gray, 2001 are described: A. grasshoffi sp. nov. (first record from the Philippines; male), A. kihit sp. nov. (Laos; female), A. kochang sp. nov. (Thailand; female), A. lombok sp. nov. (Indonesia; male, female), A. maimoun sp. nov. (Laos; female), A. phamom sp. nov. (Laos; female), A. penang sp. nov. (Malaysia; male), A. prangphe sp. nov. (Thailand; male, female), A. saiyok sp. nov. (Thailand; female) and A. thammim sp. nov. (Laos; male, female); the male of A. khanense Jäger & Nophaseud, 2024 is described for the first time. New records are listed for A. jagelkii Jäger, 2012 (Laos) and A. mariae Omelko & Fomichev, 2024a (Indonesia). Four new species of the genus Bowie...

Neutralization Capacity of Tissue Alterations Caused by the Venoms of the Most Dangerous Scorpions in North Africa Using a Selective Antivenom

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Androctonus mauretanicus (CC BY-ND 4.0 DEED) Aaron Saguyod

Neutralization Capacity of Tissue Alterations Caused by the Venoms of the Most Dangerous Scorpions in North Africa Using a Selective Antivenom

Abstract

In North Africa, scorpion stings pose an urgent public health problem, particularly for children with high morbidity and mortality rates. The main species implicated are the Androctonus mauretanicus (Am), Androctonus australis hector (Aah), and Buthus occitanus (Bo). Immunotherapy is the specific therapeutic approach aimed at directly neutralizing toxins, despite their severity and rapid diffusion. In the present study, we evaluate, histologically and immunohistologically, the neutralization potency of the selective antivenom produced against, among other species, the Am, Aah, and Bo at the level of the tissue alterations in Swiss mice, as experimental subjects. Firstly, the lethal doses 50 test was conducted to assess the venom’s toxic activity, and then the median effective dose of the antivenom was determined against each venom. The histological and immunohistological analyses were performed by injecting the sublethal dose of venom, the complex venom and antivenom, or the antivenom 2 h following inoculation of venom. Our study revealed the highest toxicity of the Am, followed by the Aah and then the Bo venom. The neutralizing ability and effectiveness of the antivenom to completely or partially neutralize the tissular damages were demonstrated in all organs studied: brain, heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Our results highlighted the important cytoplasmic and membranous staining in the heart compared to the brain tissue for the three scorpion venoms. Therefore, the scorpionic antivenoms are able to reach their target even at the tissue level. Immunotherapy represents the specific and recommended treatment against the scorpionic stings in North Africa.


Darkaoui, B., Aksim, M., Aarab, A., Lafnoune, A., Khourcha, S., Cadi, R., Filali, O. A., & Oukkache, N. (2024). Neutralization Capacity of Tissue Alterations Caused by the Venoms of the Most Dangerous Scorpions in North Africa Using a Selective Antivenom. Toxins, 16(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16010016