User:Sabina. KB.

Wikipedia Article Selections

The first article that needs reviewing is Hemotoxin. This page is severely lacking sources, and does not provide any insight into the physiological mechanisms behind the coagulation process or how hemotoxins affect this process.

The second article that needs reviewing is neurotoxins. While this article seems to contain lots of information, it is lacking in citations. It is also very vague in explaining the physiological mechanisms by which neurotoxins can elicit effects. Finally, there are limited organisms given as examples of different types of neurotoxic effects. Inclusion of different organisms would help increase interspecific comparisons.

The third article that needs reviewing is necrosis. This page also is limited in sources, but there is little information on sources of necrotoxins from spider or snake venom.

Hemotoxin edits

Article to review: Hemotoxin

There is currently no summary of the process of hemostasis. The article alludes to the fact that hemotoxins are frequently employed by venomous animals, but does not discuss the physiological mechanisms by which these hemotoxins function. It would also be beneficial to illustrate some of the known proteins and enzymes that function as hemotoxins. For example, metalloproteinases are thought to function as hemotoxins in snake venom. This would be a good connection between the overall process of hemostasis and how specific hemotoxins affect this process. Finally, the article mentions that hemotoxins can be used in diagnostic studies of the coagulation system in humans. The article only mentions one type of hemotoxin diagnostically used but there are quite a few. Inclusion of other types would supplement the hemostasis process and give further knowledge into diagnostic processes.

Braud et al. (2000)

This article gives a brief summary of the hemostatic system. It provides further insight into snake venoms that affect hemostasis and also discusses snake venom proteins that are used in diagnostic testing.

• Snake venoms contain many proteins that affect hemostasis. Enzymes such as nucelotidases, phospholipases A2 (PLA2), metalloproteinases and serine proteinases are known hemotoxins.
• Proteins used in diagnostic testing include, batroxobin, ecarin, RVV-X, ACC-C and botrocetin—this article provides a nice summary table of the use of these venom components, their biological function, and which diagnostic tests they are used for

Gutiérrez, J.M. and Rucavado, A. (2000)

This article discusses the biochemical characteristics of metalloproteinases in snake venoms, as well as the their physiological effects on the hemostatic processes in their victims

• Some of these hemotoxins induce hemorrhaging by directly affecting capillary blood vessels
• It is thought that these hemorrhagic enzymes cleave key components of the basal membrane, which affects the interaction between the basal membrane and the endothelial cells
• In addition to hemorrhaging, these metalloproteinases are thought to induce skeletal muscle damage (myonecrosis) as a secondary product of muscle ischemia

Marsh, N.A. (2001)

This article reviews the diagnostic uses of snake venoms by mechanism of hemostatic action. Provides further evidence towards Russell’s viper venom, as well various other types of venoms

• Five major classifications of hemotoxic snake venoms: coagulant, anticoagulants, platelet function inhibitors, and activators of fibrinolysis and hemorrhagins
• Russell’s viper venom can be used to assay clotting factors V, VII, X and lupis anticoagulants
• The author concludes that the use of some snake venoms for coagulation diagnostic purposes have become the preferred method and may be more appropriate than DNA-based tests in some cases

References

1. Braud, S., Bon, C., and Wisner, A. (2000) Snake venom proteins acting on hemostasis. Biochimie 82:851-859

2. Gutiérrez, J.M. and Rucavado, A. (2000) Snake venom mettaloproteinases: their role in the pathogenesis of local tissue damage. Biochimie 82:841-850

3. Marsh, N.A. (2001) Diagnostic uses of snake venom. Haemostasis 31:211-217