When Tarantula Venom Comes from a Misnamed Spider: The Importance of Taxonomic Accuracy in Theraphosid Toxinology

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  When Tarantula Venom Comes from a Misnamed Spider: The Importance of Taxonomic Accuracy in Theraphosid Toxinology I am very happy to share my most recent publication in Toxicon. This is a particularly meaningful publication for me because it brings together two areas that have become an important part of my work and personal interests: tarantulas and toxinology. At first glance, taxonomy and venom research may seem like two very different fields. In reality, they are closely connected. Before we can properly study the venom of a spider, we need to know which spider we are actually studying. Why the Name Matters A scientific name is much more than a label attached to an animal. It connects that animal to everything we report about it, including its biology, distribution, behavior, venom, toxins, and even its potential medical importance. When a tarantula is incorrectly identified, or when an outdated name continues to be used without considering changes in taxonomy, the problem ca...

Botulinum neurotoxin A alleviates Deinagkistrodon acutus venom-induced limb injury through promoting macrophage polarization in rabbits

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By No machine-readable author provided. Danleo~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). - No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=648948

Botulinum neurotoxin A alleviates Deinagkistrodon acutus venom-induced limb injury through promoting macrophage polarization in rabbits

Abstract

Objective

Envenomation by Deinagkistrodon acutus (D. acutus) often results in severe limb damage, but therapeutic strategies to counteract the damage are limited. Botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) has shown protective effects in various models of tissue damage. The present study employed a rabbit model of D. acutus-induced limb damage to investigate the potential therapeutic use and underlying mechanisms of BoNT/A.

Methods

Twenty-two New Zealand white rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups: Sham (S, n = 6), Snake Venom (SV, n = 8), and Snake Venom plus BoNT/A (SV + BoNT/A, n = 8). D. acutus venom was injected intramuscularly into the left thigh to cause limb injury. Antivenom (80 U/kg) was given intravenously 2 h later. In the SV + BoNT/A group, BoNT/A was injected subcutaneously around the venom injection site immediately after modeling. The myoglobin, serum creatine kinase, and limb circumference were monitored. After 24 h, muscle tissue near the injection site was collected for histological evaluation, assessment of apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3), analysis of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10, and examination of macrophage polarization markers.

Results

Both SV and SV + BoNT/A groups displayed significant increases in limb swelling, inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis, histological damage, macrophage polarization in comparison to the Sham group. Treatment with BoNT/A reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) while increasing IL-10 (P < 0.05). Moreover, BoNT/A decreased the proportion of CD86+ and iNOS + cells (M1 phenotype) while increasing the proportion of CD206+ and Arg1+ cells (M2 phenotype).

Conclusion

BoNT/A alleviates D. acutus -induced limb injury in rabbits potentially through promoting macrophage polarization.
Xie, L., Wu, H., Lai, L., Du, W., Xu, J., & Lan, P. (2026). Botulinum neurotoxin A alleviates Deinagkistrodon acutus venom-induced limb injury through promoting macrophage polarization in rabbits. Toxicon, 270, 108936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108936