Animal Venoms As Potential Source of Anticonvulsants

Overview

Journal F1000Res

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Science

Date 2024 Jun 26

PMID 38919947

Authors

Syafiq Asnawi Zainal Abidin

Anthony Kin Yip Liew

Iekhsan Othman

Farooq Shaikh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Epilepsy affects millions of people worldwide, and there is an urgent need to develop safe and effective therapeutic agents. Animal venoms contain diverse bioactive compounds like proteins, peptides, and small molecules, which may possess medicinal properties against epilepsy. In recent years, research has shown that venoms from various organisms such as spiders, ants, bees, wasps, and conus snails have anticonvulsant and antiepileptic effects by targeting specific receptors and ion channels. This review underscores the significance of purified proteins and toxins from these sources as potential therapeutic agents for epilepsy. In conclusion, this review emphasizes the valuable role of animal venoms as a natural resource for further exploration in epilepsy treatment research.

References

Paes L, Lima D, da Silva D, Valentin J, de Aquino P, Garcia-Jareno A . Exploring the neuroprotective potential of antimicrobial peptides from Dinoponera quadriceps venom against pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in vivo. Toxicon. 2023; 237:107538. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107538. View

Soares-Silva B, Beserra-Filho J, Morera P, Custodio-Silva A, Maria-Macedo A, Silva-Martins S . The bee venom active compound melittin protects against bicuculline-induced seizures and hippocampal astrocyte activation in rats. Neuropeptides. 2021; 91:102209. DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2021.102209. View

Hu Y, Meng B, Yin S, Yang M, Li Y, Liu N . Scorpion venom peptide HsTx2 suppressed PTZ-induced seizures in mice via the circ_0001293/miR-8114/TGF-β2 axis. J Neuroinflammation. 2022; 19(1):284. PMC: 9713996. DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02647-z. View

French J, Kanner A, Bautista J, Abou-Khalil B, Browne T, Harden C . Efficacy and tolerability of the new antiepileptic drugs II: treatment of refractory epilepsy: report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee and Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American.... Neurology. 2004; 62(8):1261-73. DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000123695.22623.32. View

Ullal G . Dihydropyridine group of calcium channel antagonist in epilepsy. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1994; 38(1):43-6. View

Nakken K, Heuser K, Alfstad K, Tauboll E . [How do antiepileptic drugs work?]. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2014; 134(1):42-6. DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.13.0761. View

Madio B, King G, Undheim E . Sea Anemone Toxins: A Structural Overview. Mar Drugs. 2019; 17(6). PMC: 6627431. DOI: 10.3390/md17060325. View

Lopes K, Vasconcelos Rios E, Lima C, Linhares M, Torres A, Havt A . The effects of the Brazilian ant Dinoponera quadriceps venom on chemically induced seizure models. Neurochem Int. 2013; 63(3):141-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2013.06.001. View

Dixit K, Dhasmana K, Saxena R, Kohli R . Antagonism of intracerebrally induced nicotinic convulsions in mice: a method for measuring the central antinicotinic activity of CNS acting agents. Psychopharmacologia. 1971; 19(1):67-72. DOI: 10.1007/BF00403704. View

10.

Touchard A, Aili S, Goncalves Paterson Fox E, Escoubas P, Orivel J, Nicholson G . The Biochemical Toxin Arsenal from Ant Venoms. Toxins (Basel). 2016; 8(1). PMC: 4728552. DOI: 10.3390/toxins8010030. View

11.

Fry B, Roelants K, Champagne D, Scheib H, Tyndall J, King G . The toxicogenomic multiverse: convergent recruitment of proteins into animal venoms. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet. 2009; 10:483-511. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.genom.9.081307.164356. View

12.

Angalakuditi M, Angalakuditi N . A comprehensive review of the literature on epilepsy in selected countries in emerging markets. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2011; 7:585-97. PMC: 3191871. DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S24966. View

13.

Kapur J . Role of NMDA receptors in the pathophysiology and treatment of status epilepticus. Epilepsia Open. 2018; 3(Suppl Suppl 2):165-168. PMC: 6293062. DOI: 10.1002/epi4.12270. View

14.

Zainal Abidin S, Lee Y, Othman I, Naidu R . Malaysian Cobra Venom: A Potential Source of Anti-Cancer Therapeutic Agents. Toxins (Basel). 2019; 11(2). PMC: 6409816. DOI: 10.3390/toxins11020075. View

15.

. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet. 2016; 388(10053):1545-1602. PMC: 5055577. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. View

16.

Liberato J, Cunha A, Mortari M, Gelfuso E, de Oliveira Beleboni R, Coutinho-Netto J . Anticonvulsant and anxiolytic activity of FrPbAII, a novel GABA uptake inhibitor isolated from the venom of the social spider Parawixia bistriata (Araneidae: Araneae). Brain Res. 2006; 1124(1):19-27. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.09.052. View

17.

Lopes do Couto L, Dos Anjos L, Araujo M, Alves Mourao C, Schwartz C, Ferreira L . Anticonvulsant and anxiolytic activity of the peptide fraction isolated from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista. Pharmacogn Mag. 2013; 8(32):292-9. PMC: 3785167. DOI: 10.4103/0973-1296.103657. View

18.

Zhao R, Weng C, Feng Q, Chen L, Zhang X, Zhu H . Anticonvulsant activity of BmK AS, a sodium channel site 4-specific modulator. Epilepsy Behav. 2011; 20(2):267-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2010.12.006. View

19.

Chen J, Tan Z, Zhao R, Feng X, Shi J, Ji Y . The modulation effects of BmK I, an alpha-like scorpion neurotoxin, on voltage-gated Na(+) currents in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. Neurosci Lett. 2005; 390(2):66-71. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.08.003. View

20.

Twede V, Miljanich G, Olivera B, Bulaj G . Neuroprotective and cardioprotective conopeptides: an emerging class of drug leads. Curr Opin Drug Discov Devel. 2009; 12(2):231-9. PMC: 2878759. View