Haplopelma hainanum venom induces inflammatory skin lesions

The Haplopelma hainanum is a species of theraphosid spider from China. Its large size and charming appearance make this species a popular pet. According to a previous study, theraphosid spider bites can induce pain, erythema, and edema in humans and can present more severely in domestic animals. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhili Deng, Yaling Wang, Wei Shi, Lei Zhou, San Xu, Ji Li, Yiya Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PeerJ Inc. 2020-01-01
Series:PeerJ
Subjects:
Online Access:https://peerj.com/articles/8264.pdf
Description
Summary:The Haplopelma hainanum is a species of theraphosid spider from China. Its large size and charming appearance make this species a popular pet. According to a previous study, theraphosid spider bites can induce pain, erythema, and edema in humans and can present more severely in domestic animals. The pathological consequences of envenomation by H. hainanum remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of H. hainanum envenomation in mice. We showed that the venom induced slight swelling, intense inflammatory response, and increased the microvascular density in mice skin. Moreover, we found that 50 µg/ml of the spider’s venom induced IL-1β expression in both HaCaT cells and fibroblast cells, but repressed CXCL10 expression in fibroblasts. The venom significantly induced cell senescence and repressed cell proliferation and migration in both HaCaT cells and fibroblast cells. Finally, we examined the expression of Nav channel in HaCaT and fibroblast cells and found that H. hainanum venom effectively inhibited Na+ currents in HaCaT cells. Our study calls for further investigation of the pathological consequences and potential mechanisms of H. hainanum envenomation. This information might assist in the development of suitable therapy.
ISSN:2167-8359