R. Seyedian
S.M. Hoseiny
M. Kamyab
R. Mansury
N. Seyedian
S. Gharibi
A. Zare Mirakabadi

Hemiscorpius lepturus belonging to Hemiscorpiidae family is the most venomous of all types of scorpion existing in south west of Iran causing hemoglobinuria and dermal lesions by envenomation. We compare the hemolytic pattern upon time in different domestic animals upon time according to their different sphingomyelin contents. In addition other in vitro hematologic parameters, platelet lysis, coagulation changes and finally preservative factors (temperature, pH, protases) are discussed. The hemolytic activity was inhibited significantly by heating at ۱۰۰ °C for ۶۰ minutes (۲۶%) and reached ۳۸% via incubation with papain (۱۰U/ml) while retained over a pH range of ۴-۱۱. Horses and sheep have the lower (۶۱%) and upper (۱۰۰%) rate of hemolysis. Calcium and magnesium ions could increase rate of hemolysis and EDTA solution had significantly decresing effect. The venom significantly changed in vitro coagulation factors (PT and APTT) from base line levels and had no effect on platelet lysis. It seems that our venom belongs to metalloproteinases due to potentiation effects of bivalent cations (calcium and magnesium) and ghost cell formation in our study indicatiing hemoglobin efflux.

Hemiscorpius lepturus, Stability Hemolysis, Ghost cell, Metalloenzyme