| Scorpion venom neurotoxins are responsible for toxicity and pharmacological effects. They are active in sodium and potassium channels leading to an increase in the release of neurotransmitters, such as glutamate. Glutamate is found in large quantities in the hippocampus (HPC) and is involved in the long-term potentiation (LTP) induction. The HPC is known to be related to certain kinds of memory. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of Tityus serrulatus TS-8F toxin on rat behavior with emphasis on learning and memory. We analyzed the effects of different doses of TS-8F on rat behavior in home cages, open-field (habituation), inhibitory avoidance, T-maze, and hippocampus morphology. In the first two experiments, 0.05µg/animal dose of TS-8F did... |
