Collaborative survey and utilization of animal species and active substances useful for physiological research in China

我们在河南省和Takuramakan沙漠进行了调查和实地研究，发现并收集了蝎子和毒蜘蛛。然后对其腹部神经纤维进行电子显微镜处理，采集血样进行分析，并对神经纤维进行电生理研究。蝎子和蜘蛛的毒液是在上海提纯的。对蝎子及其毒素的生理生化特性进行了如下研究：蝎子毒液中含有一种神经毒素，对昆虫具有选择性作用。我们纯化了该毒素并测定了其氨基酸序列。纯化的蝎子神经毒素对蝎子神经纤维的电生理特性没有影响。发现蝎子血淋巴的离子组成和渗透性对于陆生动物来说是非常高的。腹神经束没有巨大的轴突，但含有一种原始类型的髓鞘结构。蜘蛛的毒液被收集并分成5份。它们与纯化的蝎子毒素一起储存在我们的实验室中，为进一步分析做准备。

We made a survey and a field research in Henan Province and in Takuramakan desert to find and collect scorpions and venomous spiders. Then, abdominal nerve fibers of them were processed for electron microscopy, blood samples were collected for assay, and electrophysiological studies were done on the nerve fibers. The venom of the scorpion and the spider were purified at Shanghai. Physiological and biochemical properties of the scorpion and scorpion toxin was studied as follows: The venom contained a neurotoxin that exerts effects rather selectively on insects. We purified this toxin and determined the amino acid sequence. The purified scorpion neurotoxin(BmK I) did not have any effect on electrophysiological properties of the scorpion nerve fiber. The ionic composition and the osmorality of the scorpion haemolymph was found to be very high for a terrestrial animal. The abdominal nerve cord did not have the giant axon but it contained a primitive type of myelin structure. The venom of the spider was collected and fractionated into 5 portions. They are stored in our laboratory together with the purified scorpion toxins and are prepared for further analyses.