Neuroethological analysis of the effects of spider venom from Scaptocosa raptoria (Lycosidae : Araneae) microinjected in the lateral ventricle of Wistar rats

The inhibition of excitatory mechanisms by components of low molecular weig ht, isolated from spiders and solitary wasps, such as, the acyl-polyamines, has demonstrated, on the one hand, neuroprotection potential, and on the o ther hand, it is well known that some arthropod venom components have convu lsant activity. While many sophisticated experiments are conducted to deter mine the mechanisms and effects of arthropod venoms, relatively little atte ntion has been paid to the behavioral changes that occur in mammals after b eing administered given doses of them. The precise detection of these behav ioral changes can be used as a sensitive indicator of central nervous syste m dysfunction, This study investigated the behavioral effects of crude veno m from the spider Scaptocosa raptoria after intracerebroventricular injecti on in male Wistar rats. The venom induced behavioral changes quantified usi ng a neuroethological method, which allows the evaluation of the following parameters: frequency, duration, and strength of statistical association (c hi-square) between pairs of behaviors. The rats exhibited a period of freez ing, which was always followed by precursive-type seizures (running, gyrati ng, atonic falling, and jumping), (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.