The underlying mechanism of scorpion venom peptide BmK AS in reducing epilepsy seizures: mediated through dual modulation of Nav1.6 and the inflammasome pathway

  The underlying mechanism of scorpion venom peptide BmK AS in reducing epilepsy seizures: mediated through dual modulation of Nav1.6 and the inflammasome pathway Abstract Introduction:  Voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) dysregulation, particularly of the Nav1.6 subtype, is a core mechanism underlying epileptogenesis and its associated neuropsychiatric comorbidities. The scorpion venom peptide BmK AS has demonstrated anticonvulsant potential, but its efficacy in chronic epilepsy and the precise mechanisms of action remain undefined. Methods:  Here, we show that BmK AS exerts robust anti-epileptic and neuroprotective effects through converging mechanisms. In a kainic acid-induced mouse model, BmK AS treatment reduced mortality and seizure parameters. Electrophysiological studies assessed BmK AS modulation of VGSC subtypes. The functional relevance of Nav1.6 targeting was confirmed by the loss of BmK AS’s anti-seizure efficacy upon its pharmacological blockade in a PTZ-in...

First records of the genus Parazygiella Wunderlich, 2004 (Araneae, Araneidae) from China, with the description of two new species

 


First records of the genus Parazygiella Wunderlich, 2004 (Araneae, Araneidae) from China, with the description of two new species

Abstract

The genus Parazygiella Wunderlich, 2004 is recorded from China for the first time, with two new species described here from Xizang: Parazygiella jianxini Mi & Wang, sp. nov. (♂♀) and P. yanghongae Mi & Wang, sp. nov. (♂♀). Additionally, two species, P. hiramatsui (Tanikawa, 2017), comb. nov. and P. nearctica (Gertsch, 1964), comb. nov. are transferred from Zygiella F.O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1902.

Mi X, Wang C, Chen H (2026) First records of the genus Parazygiella Wunderlich, 2004 (Araneae, Araneidae) from China, with the description of two new species. ZooKeys 1269: 41-54. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1269.163661