Molecular Recognition and Immunopharmacological Implications of Serratiopeptidase Targeting Snake Venom Bradykinin-Potentiating Peptides

Posted by
  Molecular Recognition and Immunopharmacological Implications of Serratiopeptidase Targeting Snake Venom Bradykinin-Potentiating Peptides Abstract Purpose Bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs), found in snake venom, are known to modulate cardiovascular functions, but their susceptibility to enzymatic degradation remains poorly understood. Methods Models were generated using AlphaFold-Colab for five small BPPs (< 9 amino acids) that did not have experimentally solved structures, and those BPPs which had reliable predictions of structure (pLDDT > 80) were used for docking studies. Protein-peptide docking experiments were done using HADDOCK for studying the interaction between wild-type (WT) and mutant serratiopeptidase with BPPs. After selecting the best complex, simulation of the complex was done using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for 100 ns and binding energy determination using MM/PBSA analysis. For checking the mechanical stability of the protein-peptide complexes...

The impact of Centruroides tecomanus scorpion venom on cardiac function in rats during early envenomation

Posted by

 


The impact of Centruroides tecomanus scorpion venom on cardiac function in rats during early envenomation

Abstract

Scorpion envenomation is a medical emergency that can produce severe cardiovascular complications. Centruroides tecomanus, an endemic scorpion species from western Mexico, is medically relevant, although its early cardiac effects remain poorly characterized. This study evaluated the initial cardiotoxic effects of C. tecomanus venom in Wistar rats using serial electrocardiographic recordings, algorithm-based ECG signal processing, histopathology, and serum biochemical markers. Fourteen rats were allocated to control and venom-treated groups (n = 7 per group). The experimental group received an intraperitoneal sublethal dose equivalent to one-third of the LD50. One-minute ECG recordings obtained at 5-min intervals during the first hour were analyzed using an enhanced computational algorithm for noise reduction, R-peak detection, R–R interval analysis, and characterization of cardiac conduction. Venom-treated animals showed a biphasic chronotropic response, with early tachycardia followed by progressive bradycardia, together with altered impulse generation, migratory atrial pacemaker activity, and atrioventricular conduction abnormalities. Histopathological analysis revealed increased inter-fiber separation and eosinophilic changes in the ventricular myocardium, without overt necrosis, whereas pulmonary architecture remained largely preserved. CK, CK-MB, and AST showed no significant changes at 8 h after envenomation, while LDH decreased significantly. These findings characterize the early temporal progression of C. tecomanus venom-associated cardiotoxicity, beginning with rhythm and atrioventricular conduction abnormalities and accompanied by mild myocardial inter-fiber separation, but without overt necrosis or a conventional serum enzyme pattern of myocardial injury.
Romero-Murguia, L. F., Valdez-Velazquez, L. L., Melnikov, V., Ochoa-Brust, A., Rodríguez-Hernandez, A., Lino-López, G. J., Vazquez-Vuelvas, O. F., Barajas-Saucedo, C. E., Bermúdez-Guzmán, M., Zatarain-Palacios, R., Dagnino-Acosta, A., & Gonzalez-Potes, A. (2026). The impact of Centruroides tecomanus scorpion venom on cardiac function in rats during early envenomation. Toxicon, 109308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2026.109308