SCREENING OF THE VENOMS OF 2 PARABUTHUS SCORPION SPECIES ON ISOLATED CARDIOMYOCYTES

Crude, diluted venoms of Parabuthus transvaalicus and P. granulatus we re tested on isolated cardiomyocytes. Ventricular myocytes were subjec ted to hypercontractility tests and whole-cell voltage clamp. Both ven oms had a profound influence on the hypercontractility of cardiomyocyt es, which was markedly decreased when they were pre-absorbed with comm ercial antiserum. Whole-cell clamp results showed an increase in the s odium current, and a retardation of the time course of inactivation, i mplicating the presence of an a toxin in both venoms.