Comment published on 30 August 2016,
see
Toxins 2016, 8(9), 252.
Toxins 2016, 8(3), 70; doi:10.3390/toxins8030070
PhTx3-4, a Spider Toxin Calcium Channel Blocker, Reduces NMDA-Induced Injury of the Retina
Nancy Scardua Binda 1, Charles Porto Petruceli Carayon 1, Rafael Mourão Agostini 1, Ana Cristina do Nascimento Pinheiro 1, Marta Nascimento Cordeiro 2, Marco Aurélio Romano Silva 3, Juliana Figueira Silva 1, Elizete Maria Rita Pereira 1, Claudio Antonio da Silva Junior 1, Célio José de Castro Junior 1, Andre Luiz Sena Guimarães 4
and Marcus Vinicius Gomez 1,*
and Marcus Vinicius Gomez 1,*
1
Institute of Education and Research Santa Casa Belo Horizonte-Laboratory of Toxins, Rua Domingos Vieira 590, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30150-240, Brazil
2
Ezequiel Dias Foundation (FUNED), Laboratory of Biochemistry, Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30510-010, Brazil
3
Faculty of Medicine, Minas Gerais Federal University, Neuroscience Laboratory, Av. Alfredo Balena 190, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30130-100, Brazil
4
Department of Dentistry, Montes Claros State University, University Hospital, Health Laboratory Research, Montes Claros, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais 39401-001, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Jean-Marc Sabatier
Received: 1 November 2015 / Revised: 26 January 2016 / Accepted: 1 March 2016 / Published: 11 March 2016
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arthropod Venoms)
Abstract
The in vivo neuroprotective effect of PhTx3-4, a spider toxin N-P/Q calcium channel blocker, was studied in a rat model of NMDA-induced injury of the retina. NMDA (N-Methyl-d-Aspartate)-induced retinal injury in rats reduced the b-wave amplitude by 62% ± 3.6%, indicating the severity of the insult. PhTx3-4 treatment increased the amplitude of the b-wave, which was almost equivalent to the control retinas that were not submitted to injury. The PhTx3-4 functional protection of the retinas recorded on the ERG also was observed in the neuroprotection of retinal cells. NMDA-induced injury reduced live cells in the retina layers and the highest reduction, 84%, was in the ganglion cell layer. Notably, PhTx3-4 treatment caused a remarkable reduction of dead cells in the retina layers, and the highest neuroprotective effect was in the ganglion cells layer. NMDA-induced cytotoxicity of the retina increased the release of glutamate, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and oxidative stress. PhTx3-4 treatment reduced glutamate release, ROS production and oxidative stress measured by malondialdehyde. Thus, we presented for the first time evidence of in vivo neuroprotection from NMDA-induced retinal injury by PhTx3-4 (-ctenitoxin-Pn3a), a spider toxin that blocks N-P/Q calcium channels. View Full-TextKeywords:
Neuroprotection; retina; phoneutria nigriventer; spider toxins; PhTx3-4
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MDPI and ACS Style
Binda, N.S.; Porto Petruceli Carayon, C.; Agostini, R.M.; do Nascimento Pinheiro, A.C.; Nascimento Cordeiro, M.; Romano Silva, M.A.; Figueira Silva, J.; Rita Pereira, E.M.; da Silva Junior, C.A.; de Castro Junior, C.J.; Sena Guimarães, A.L.; Gomez, M.V. PhTx3-4, a Spider Toxin Calcium Channel Blocker, Reduces NMDA-Induced Injury of the Retina. Toxins 2016, 8, 70.
Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.
