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Hemiscorpius lepturus belonging to Hemiscorpiidae family is the most venomous of all types of scorpion existing in south west of Iran causing hemoglobinuria and dermal lesions by envenomation. We compare the hemolytic pattern upon time in different domestic animals upon time according to their different sphingomyelin contents. In addition other in vitro hematologic parameters, platelet lysis, coagulation changes and finally preservative factors (temperature, pH, protases) are discussed. The hemolytic activity was inhibited significantly by heating at 100 °C for 60 minutes (26%) and reached 38% via incubation with papain (10U/ml) while retained over a pH range of 4-11. Horses and sheep have the lower (61%) and upper (100%) rate of hemolysis. Calcium and magnesium ions could increase rate of hemolysis and EDTA solution had significantly decresing effect. The venom significantly changed in vitro coagulation factors (PT and APTT) from base line levels and had no effect on platelet lysis. It seems that our venom belongs to metalloproteinases due to potentiation effects of bivalent cations (calcium and magnesium) and ghost cell formation in our study indicatiing hemoglobin efflux.

Background: We investigated the hemodynamic changes (Inotropic, chronotropic and arrhythmogenic) in intrave­nously envenomed anesthetized rats with Hemiscorpius lepturus venom. The neutralizing potencies of different drugs and commercial antivenom were assessed simultaneously. Methods: Different doses of the crude venom (100, 200 and 400μg/rat) were injected during five minutes via the femoral vein and cardiovascular changes were recorded in rats in Razi Institute Corporation, Karaj, Iran in 2017. The drugs (Atropine, lidocaine, propranolol and prazosin) were injected before the venom for determination of the coun­teracting effects. Different volumes (100, 500 and 1000µl) of the antivenom were pre envenomed to neutralize cardi­ovascular changes. Results: Temporary hypertension and bradycardia with no arrhythmogenic effects were depicted within twenty minutes. There was a difference in arterial pressure between the venom (400μg/rat) and the vehicle at 8 minutes (114.68±5.1mmHg versus 70.2±4.3mmHg). Elevation of the mean arterial pressure was inhibited by propranolol (2 mg/kg) and neutralized by prazosin (1mg/kg) while lidocaine (4mg/kg) and atropine (1mg/kg) had no effects. Pre­medication with Iranian commercial antivenom (1000μl) produced surprisingly temporary hypertension compared to the vehicle (140.84±4.5 versus 84.3±3.2). It had no neutralizing properties on blood pressure variation before the venom injection. Volume-expanded hypertension phenomenon was ruled out in a parallel study. Conclusion: This venom has vasoconstrictive effects in rats probably due to the presence of norepinephrine like ma­terials in its content or liberated from adrenal gland inhibited by prazosin premedication. The neutralizing effects of antivenom on venom-induced hypertension are questionable.