Barietin, a snake venom vascular endothelial growth factor from puff adder Bitis arietans venom, increases the heart rate with minor effect on blood pressure in rats

Posted by
  Barietin, a snake venom vascular endothelial growth factor from puff adder Bitis arietans venom, increases the heart rate with minor effect on blood pressure in rats ABSTRACT Snake venom vascular endothelial growth factors (svVEGFs) are homodimeric proteins comprising two equal subunits bound by two intermolecular disulfide bonds. The main biological effects of svVEGFs are local vasodilatation, increasing of vascular permeability, and hypotension. Barietin, a svVEGF purified from the venom of puff adder Bitis arietans , differs from other representatives of this toxin family by its shortened C-terminal amino acid sequence. No data about barietin effects on hemodynamics are available. Studying those in rats we found that barietin at a dose of 1 mg/kg significantly increased heart rate, exerting only a minor influence on blood pressure. In this respect, it differs from other svVEGFs having a significant effect on blood pressure. We aimed to find the barietin active fragment which m...

Further additions to the rare dark sac spider genus Messapus Simon, 1897 (Araneae: Corinnidae)

Posted by

 


Further additions to the rare dark sac spider genus Messapus Simon, 1897 (Araneae: Corinnidae)

Abstract

In this paper, a new species of the spider genus Messapus Simon, 1897 is described, M. mygaloides sp. nov. (♀ ♂, Mozambique and Tanzania). We also provide the first description of the male of M. tigris Haddad & Mbo, 2015 based on a specimen collected from the type locality and record the species from Zimbabwe for the first time too. The type species, M. martini Simon, 1897, is recorded from Eswatini for the first time. An updated identification key to the genus is also presented.


Haddad, C. R. & Grismado, C. J. (2025). Further additions to the rare dark sac spider genus Messapus Simon, 1897 (Araneae: Corinnidae). Zootaxa 5637(2): 351-362. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5637.2.8