While exploring underground caves in Mexico, ace spelunker Dash Riprock is bitte

Question

While exploring underground caves in Mexico, ace spelunker Dash Riprock is bitten by a venonomous albino cave tarantula! As dash loses consciousness and dangles limply. From the rapelling line, you page through your neuropharmacology manual to make a diagnosis. Remarkably, the venom from the creature acts as a proteolytic enzyme that cleaves off the inactivation gate of voltage-gated sodium channels! use your knowledge of neurophysiology to answer these questions: where is the venom likely to exert its effect? why is it deadly in such tiny amounts? what are the likely symptoms? how might you treat them? Please hurry-Dash is hanging by a thread...   

Explanation / Answer

Voltage gated sodium channels are essential for impulse generation and transmission. So, inactivation of sodium channels immediately blocks neuronal responses, and causes paralysis. Voltage gated sodium channels contain neurotoxin binding sites on their alpha domain. The person is likely to suffer from paralysis, an immediate decrease in rate of respiration and difficulty in breathing is noticeable, which needs immediate hospitalization. The person needs to be administered with an anti-venom.

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