Advanced search
Start date
Betweenand
Related content
(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Erection induced by Tx2-6 toxin of Phoneutria nigriventer spider: Expression profile of genes in the nitric oxide pathway of penile tissue of mice

Full text
Author(s):
Show less -
Villanova, Fabiola E. [1] ; Andrade, Enrico [1] ; Leal, Elcio [2] ; Andrade, Priscila M. [1] ; Borra, Ricardo C. [3] ; Troncone, Lanfranco R. P. [4] ; Magalhaes, Leandro [4] ; Leite, Katia R. M. [1] ; Paranhos, Mario [1] ; Claro, Joaquim [1] ; Srougi, Miguel [1]
Total Authors: 11
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Lab Med Invest LIM55, Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo - Brazil
[3] Univ Ibirapuera, Sao Paulo - Brazil
[4] Butantan Inst, Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 4
Document type: Journal article
Source: Toxicon; v. 54, n. 6, p. 793-801, NOV 2009.
Web of Science Citations: 13
Abstract

The peptides Tx2-5 and Tx2-6, isolated from the whole venom of ``armed-spider{''} Phoneutria nigniventer venom, are directly linked with the induction of persistent and painful erection in the penis of mammals. The erection induced by Tx2-6 has been associated with the activation of nitric oxide synthases. There is a scarcity of studies focusing on the outcome of Tx2-6 at the molecular level, by this reason we evaluated the gene profile activity of this toxin at the nitric oxide (NO) pathway. After microarray analyses on cavernous tissue of mice inoculated with Tx2-6 we found that only 10.4% (10/96) of these genes were differentially expressed, showing a limited effect of the toxin on the NO pathway. We found the genes sparc, ednrb, junb, cdkn1a, bcl2, ccl5, abcc1 over-expressed and the genes sod1, s100a10 and fth1 under-expressed after inoculation of Tx2-6. The differential expressions of sparc and ednrb genes were further confirmed using real-time PCR. Interestingly, ednrb activates the L-arginine/NO/cGMP pathway that is involved in the relaxation of the cavernous body. Therefore the priapism induced by Tx2-6 is a consequence of a highly specific interference of this neurotoxin with the NO pathway. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)