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

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  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...

The taxonomic status of two poorly described Chinese spiders: Cheiracanthium gobi Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 (Araneae: Cheiracanthidae) and Alopecosa hoevelsi Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 (Araneae: Lycosidae)

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The taxonomic status of two poorly described Chinese spiders: Cheiracanthium gobi Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 (Araneae: Cheiracanthidae) and Alopecosa hoevelsi Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Abstract

Schmidt & Barensteiner (2000) described three spiders from the Gobi Desert in China: Cheiracanthium gobi Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 (Cheiricanthiidae) based on a holotype male and one paratype male, Drassodes aenigmaticus Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 (Gnaphosidae) based on a holotype female, and Alopecosa hoevelsi Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 (Lycosidae) based on a holotype female. As is common for works by Günter Schmidt, the figures are of poor quality, and female genitalia are haphazardly preserved on slides, often marring their quality. The descriptions of all species consist of a single genitalic figure for each species: a dorsal view of the vulva of A. hoevelsi from an unorthodox angle, and a schematic draw ing of the palp of C. gobi in ventral view. The description of D. aenigmaticus features a more orthodox (but not straight) view of the dorsal view of the vulva, and a dorsal habitus of the female in vivo. Song, Zhu & Zhang (2004) synonymized D. aenigmaticus with Drassodes auritus Schenkel, 1963, which has been recognised by subsequent workers (World Spider Catalog 2026). In this work, we digitized the holotypes of the two unresolved species described by Schmidt & Barensteiner (2002), deposited in the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany (SMF), and reassessed their taxonomic status.

Acknowledgment: I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Danni Sherwood for providing the complete manuscript.

Sherwood, Danniella & Geci, Donard & Lin, Yejie. (2026). The taxonomic status of two poorly described Chinese spiders: Cheiracanthium gobi Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 (Araneae: Cheiracanthidae) and Alopecosa hoevelsi Schmidt & Barensteiner, 2000 (Araneae: Lycosidae). Arachnology. 20. 513-514.