A new species of Raveniola Zonstein, 1987 (Araneae, Nemesiidae) from Jinggangshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province, China

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  A new species of Raveniola Zonstein, 1987 (Araneae, Nemesiidae) from Jinggangshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province, China Abstract Background Prior to this study, only two mygalomorph species from two distinct families had been formally recorded in Jinggangshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province: Calommata jinggangica Li & Xu, 2022 ( Atypidae Thorell, 1870) and Conothele jinggangshan Liu, Xu, Zhang, Liu & Li, 2019 ( Halonoproctidae Pocock, 1901), indicating that the overall mygalomorph diversity in this region remains far from fully revealed. The family Nemesiidae Simon, 1889, is known from the neighbouring provinces of Jiangxi: Hunan, Hubei, Fujian and Zhejiang. Nevertheless, no systematic surveys of Nemesiidae have ever been conducted in Jiangxi Province, and to date, no species belonging to this family has been formally reported from the region. During a recent exploratory field survey of local microhabitats in Jinggangshan National Nature Reser...

Scorpion venom heat-resistant synthetic peptide regulates Nrf-2 to alleviate neuronal pyroptosis in an AD model induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress under PM2.5 exposure

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Scorpion venom heat-resistant synthetic peptide regulates Nrf-2 to alleviate neuronal pyroptosis in an AD model induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress under PM2.5 exposure

Abstract

In recent years, the impact of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on the nervous system, particularly on neurodegenerative diseases, has garnered widespread attention. Epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to PM2.5 is closely associated with the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the mechanisms through which PM2.5 exacerbates AD remain unclear. Scorpion venom heat-resistant synthetic peptide (SVHRSP) is a pharmacologically active product synthesised from the amino acid sequence of scorpion venom heat-resistant peptide. In this study, we investigated the mechanism through which PM2.5 exposure aggravates neuronal pyroptosis and validated the protective effects of SVHRSP against AD. PC12 and HT22 neuronal cells were used to construct in vitro models of AD. Mice were stereotactically injected with Aβ25-35 protein to induce AD. Subsequently, PM2.5 exposure-induced changes in ER stress, pyroptosis, and oxidative stress in AD models, were detected through in vivo and in vitro experiments. The results indicated that PM2.5 exposure aggravated cognitive impairment, ER stress, and pyroptosis in mice with AD. Conversely, treatment with SVHRSP counteracted the damage induced by PM2.5 exposure. At a mechanistic level, PM2.5 might enhance oxidative stress and trigger pyroptosis by suppressing the expression of Nrf-2. These findings offer novel insights into the mechanisms through which PM2.5 exposure hastens the progression of AD and propose a promising strategy for the pharmacological treatment of AD.

Duan, K., Qin, C., Zhang, Y., Li, D., Zhang, J., & Li, F. (2025). Scorpion venom heat-resistant synthetic peptide regulates Nrf-2 to alleviate neuronal pyroptosis in an AD model induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress under PM2.5 exposure. Toxicon, 108504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108504