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

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  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...

Passive transponder implantation in Theraphosidae: A tool for traceability and conservation

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Passive transponder implantation in Theraphosidae: A tool for traceability and conservation

Abstract

  1. Illegal wildlife trade represents a major global threat to biodiversity, with tarantulas among the most heavily trafficked invertebrate groups due to increasing demand in the international pet market, highlighting the urgent need for effective regulatory frameworks and reliable specimen-level traceability systems to distinguish legally bred individuals from illegally sourced ones.
  2. Individual identification is essential to support legal trade, strengthen enforcement mechanisms and reduce illegal trafficking; therefore, this study evaluated the feasibility and safety of passive integrated transponder microchip (PIT TAG) implantation for individual identification in multiple tarantula species under controlled laboratory conditions.
  3. Post-implantation parameters assessed included anaesthesia recovery time, feeding behaviour, ecdysis frequency, PIT TAG retention across successive moults and reproductive performance, integrating physiological, behavioural and life-history endpoints to provide a multidimensional evaluation of short- and long-term effects. All individuals tolerated the implantation procedure without mortality or severe adverse effects; recovery times were short, with normal feeding behaviour resuming within expected time frames, ecdysis occurred normally, with PIT TAGs remaining stable and detectable after successive moults, and reproductive parameters—including mating success and ootheca production—were not negatively affected, with no evidence of interference in behaviour, development or reproduction.
  4. This study provides the first comprehensive dataset assessing behavioural and reproductive outcomes following PIT TAG implantation in tarantulas and demonstrates that the technique is a safe and effective method for individual identification and long-term traceability, with potential to support regulatory enforcement, promote legal trade and contribute to conservation efforts by reducing illegal wildlife trafficking.
Lago, M., Bellini Lucas, M. S., Bremer, H., Pinto, I. B., Cupello, M., Ferreira, V. R., Carneiro, A. K., & Maciel, L. Passive transponder implantation in Theraphosidae: A tool for traceability and conservation. Insect Conservation and Diversity. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.70075