Ali Movahed - The Persian Gulf Tropical Research Center, Biochemistry Group, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
Hossein Fatemikia - Departments of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Kaveh Tanha - The Persian Gulf Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
Abdollhamid Esmaeili - Department of Pathology, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
Euikyung Kim - College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea
Naser Mohammadpour Dounighi - Department of Human Vaccine and Serum, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran
Soudabeh Zendebodi - Department of Nephrology, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
Ramin Seyedian - Department of Pharmacology, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

Objective(s): Hemiscorpius lepturus is one of the dangerous scorpions of Iran leading to acute kidney injury (AKI) especially in infants. The purpose of this animal study was to compare the serological, pathological and scintigraphic data to quickly predict the occurrence of this disorder.Materials and Methods: In two groups of animals, each contained five rats, H. lepturus venom (۱۲۰۰ µg/Kg) were injected intravenously via the tail vein. At three hours and one week later, ۹۹m Tc-DMSA (۳ mCi) was intravenously injected and renal scintigraphy was performed after an hour. Moreover, plasma levels of creatinine, sodium, potassium, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured. At the end of the study, renal tissues were excised and prepared to perform pathological evaluation after Hematoxylin and Eosin staining.Results: All serological indices were remained unchanged compared to control. A large number of glomerular fibrin thrombi with entrapped red blood cells and simplified tubular epithelium in dilated and ectatic tubules were observed in high power field (×۱۰۰) four hours after envenomation, which reduced significantly one week later. In our scintigraphic study, there was a statistically significant difference (P<۰.۰۵) in kidney count rate per pixels (CRPP) in both acute and chronic phases compared to the sham group that received normal saline (۰.۸۴±۰.۰۵ and ۱.۳۶±۰.۰۷ versus ۱.۷±۰.۰۵).Conclusion: The results of this preliminary animal study suggest renal scintigraphy is a non-invasive method to predict the occurrence of the AKI in H. lepturus envenomation. It leads the way for more investigation to counteract the renal failure induced by this venom.

Envenomation, Fibrin thrombi, Hemiscorpius lepturus, Kidney, Scorpion, Scintigraphy