Title:Neuroethological Analysis of the Effects of Venom of the Spider Vitalius
Platyomma (Theraphosidae, Theraphosinae) Microinjected into the Lateral
Ventricle of Wistar Rats
Volume: 4
Author(s): Alessandra Mussi Ribeiro*, Eliane Estábile, Fabrizio dos Santos Cardoso, Wagner Ferreira dos Santos and Norberto Garcia-Cairasco*
Affiliation:
- Neuroscience and Bioprospecting of Natural Products Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Federal University of
São Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil
- Neurophysiology and Experimental Neuroethology Laboratory, Department
of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
Keywords:
Spider toxin, seizures, convulsions, epilepsy, wild running, freezing.
Abstract:
Introduction: Spiders are predators that use their venom to immobilize their prey. These
spider toxins are able to affect the central nervous system of mammals.
Methods: We hypothesized that venom from the tarantula Vitalius platyomma may induce behavioral
changes in male Wistar rats. To test this hypothesis, the behavioral effects of venom were investigated
after intracerebroventricular microinjection using the neuroethological method (behavioral sequences)
associated with the ETHOMATIC program, evaluating frequency, duration, and strength of statistical
association between pairs (dyads) of behaviors.
Results: The results obtained in this present study showed that the intracerebral administration of V.
platyomma crude venom provoked a difference in the time of freezing of animals. In addition, animals
showed after the freezing period changes in the exploratory and grooming clusters and additional complex
sequences of behaviors such as wild running.
Conclusion: This study clearly demonstrated the appearance of seizure-like behaviors, similar to audiogenic
brainstem-dependent seizures such as those observed in genetically-selected audiogenic strains.
