Anticoagulant activity of Triatoma infestans and Panstrongylus megistus saliva (Hemiptera/Triatominae)

• Published in: Acta tropica Vol. 61; no. 3; pp. 255 - 261
• Main Authors: Pereira, M.H., Souza, M.E.L., Vargas, A.P., Martins, M.S., Penido, C.M., Diotaiuti, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.1996; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anticoagulant activity; Anticoagulants - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemiptera - physiology; Humans; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; Panstrongylus megistus; Proteins - analysis; Saliva; Saliva - chemistry; Saliva - physiology; Triatoma infestans; Tropical medicine; Vectors. Intermediate hosts; Panstrongylus megistus; Triatoma infestans; Saliva; Anticoagulant activity; Protozoal disease; Serine endopeptidases; Enzyme; Insecta; Blood sucking; Coagulation; Chagas disease; Thrombin; Parasitosis; Biological activity; Heteroptera; Infection; Arthropoda; Prothrombin; Hydrolases; Invertebrata; Proteinases; Trypanosomiasis; Vector; Reduviidae
• ISSN: 0001-706X; 1873-6254
• DOI: 10.1016/0001-706X(96)00007-1

Salivary gland extract of Triatoma infestans prolonged thrombin time, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time, while salivary gland extract of Panstrongylus mesgistus delayed thrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. However, saliva of P. megistus prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and saliva of T. infestans delayed activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time. T. infestans saliva interfers particularly with activity of factor VIII (intrinsic pathway) and factor V (common pathway), but also affects other factors. Saliva of the triatomine species studied presented distinct SDS-PAGE profiles. These results demonstrate that there are differences in anticoagulant activity and protein composition of triatomine saliva.