Journal of Toxicology Ion Channel-Target Toxicology Guest Editors: Yonghua Ji, Jan Tytgat, Maria Elena de Lima, Hongzhuan Chen, and Yun Zhang Ion Channel-Target Toxicology Journal of Toxicology Ion Channel-Target Toxicology Guest Editors: Yonghua Ji, Jan Tytgat, Maria Elena de Lima, Hongzhuan Chen, and Yun Zhang Copyright © 2012 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. This is a special issue published in “Journal of Toxicology.” All articles are open access articles distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is prop- erly cited. Editorial Board Syed F. Ali, USA Hisato Iwata, Japan Gary H. Perdew, USA Michael Aschner, USA Margaret James, USA Cinta Porte, Spain Thomas Burbacher, USA Yujian James Kang, USA Robert H. Rice, USA Steven J. Bursian, USA Mary Kanz, USA Rudy Richardson, USA James Bus, USA M. Firoze Khan, USA Arleen Rifkind, USA Lucio Guido Costa, USA Paul Kostyniak, USA JeanClare Seagrave, USA Edmond Edmond Creppy, France Robert Krieger, USA James Sikarskie, USA Kevin Crofton, USA Kannan Krishnan, Canada J. J. Stegeman, USA Michael L. Cunningham, USA B. L. Lasley, USA Susan Sumner, USA Anthony DeCaprio, USA Pamela Lein, USA Robert Tanguay, USA David Doolittle, USA Robert Luebke, USA Kenneth Turteltaub, USA Paul R. Ebert, Australia Michael R. Moore, Australia Brad Upham, USA Laurence D. Fechter, USA Jack Ng, Australia William Valentine, USA M. Teresa Colomina Fosch, Spain P. J. O’Brien, Canada J. T. Zelikoff,USA M. Ian Gilmour, USA Curtis Omiecinski, USA Wei Zheng, USA Bhaskar Gollapudi, USA Orish Ebere Orisakwe, Nigeria Contents Ion Channel-Target Toxicology, Yonghua Ji and Maria Elena De Lima Volume 2012, Article ID 501438, 2 pages Mining the Virgin Land of Neurotoxicology: A Novel Paradigm of Neurotoxic Peptides Action on Glycosylated Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels,ZhiruiLiu,JieTao,PinYe,andYonghuaJi Volume 2012, Article ID 843787, 6 pages A Lipocalin-Derived Peptide Modulating Fibroblasts and Extracellular Matrix Proteins, Linda Christian Carrijo-Carvalho, Durvanei A. Maria, Janaina S. Ventura, Katia´ L. P. Morais, Robson L. Melo, Consuelo Junqueira Rodrigues, and Ana Marisa Chudzinski-Tavassi Volume 2012, Article ID 325250, 8 pages Towards Therapeutic Applications of Arthropod Venom K+-Channel Blockers in CNS Neurologic Diseases Involving Memory Acquisition and Storage,ChristianoD.C.Gati,Marcia´ R. Mortari, and Elisabeth F. Schwartz Volume 2012, Article ID 756358, 21 pages Potassium Channels Blockers from the Venom of Androctonus mauretanicus mauretanicus, Marie-France Martin-Eauclaire and Pierre E. Bougis Volume 2012, Article ID 103608, 9 pages Nervous System of Periplaneta americana Cockroach as a Model in Toxinological Studies: A Short Historical and Actual View, Maria Stankiewicz, Marcin Da;browski, and Maria Elena de Lima Volume 2012, Article ID 143740, 11 pages Ion Channels and Zinc: Mechanisms of Neurotoxicity and Neurodegeneration, Deborah R. Morris and Cathy W. Levenson Volume 2012, Article ID 785647, 6 pages Hindawi Publishing Corporation Journal of Toxicology Volume 2012, Article ID 501438, 2 pages doi:10.1155/2012/501438 Editorial Ion Channel-Target Toxicology Yong hua Ji 1 and Maria Elena De Lima2 1 Lab of Neuropharmacology and Neurotoxicology, Shanghai University, Nanchen Road 333, Shanghai 200444, China 2 Departamento de Bioqu´ımica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciˆencias Biologicas,´ Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antonioˆ Carlos 6627, 31.270 901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil Correspondence should be addressed to Yonghua Ji, yhji@staff.shu.edu.cn Received 9 July 2012; Accepted 9 July 2012 Copyright © 2012 Y. Ji and M. E. De Lima. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The saying “use poison as an antidote to poison” has long after 2010 and its market value would likely reach more than been considered the spirit of traditional Chinese medicine $760 million by 2015. and herbalism since Ming Dynasty and has indicated the Despite the rapid growth and worldwide attention to medical values of toxins arising from venomous animals, toxin R&D industries, it has to be well recognized that the plants, microbes, or synthetic chemicals. A well-known phy- productivity of discovering a new medicine from toxins is sician Sir P. M. Latham (1789–1875) once defined the rela- still little efficient in the global biopharmaceutical industry. tionship between poisons and medicines as “oftentimes the The hindrances toward toxin-drug transformation may same substances given with different intents”,what highlight- include but not be limited to (1) overall costs of drug devel- ed the double-edged sword nature of toxins when applied opment; (2) elimination of nondevelopable drug candidates; with different doses. (3) extensive toxicology and safety pharmacology researches In view of the great potential of toxins as medicines for any drug candidates. Among them, one of the major and drug precursors, a stormy survey and pursuit has been challenges of toxicity evaluation and integrated efficacy may implemented within pharmaceutical industry and research be the targets of toxins in the human body. centers in a worldwide range. A classical example comes from Up to now, it has been well documented that ion chan- the studies of a Brazilian scientist, Dr. Sergio Ferreira, who nels are specific targets for numerous toxins. Neurotoxins discovered, in the 1960s, bradykinin potentiating peptides secreted by various venomous species have played critical (BPPs), extracted from the venom of the Brazilian viper roles in understanding the physiological contributions of Bothrops jararaca. These peptides were later shown to be able ion channels to the neuronal network as well as in probing to decrease arterial pressure. This study was very important and correlating ion channel structure and function. Ion for the development of an analogue molecule, by Squibb Lab- channel-targeted toxins have been validated as promising oratory, called Captopril, one of the most successful exam- drug candidates or leading molecules for the treatment of ples of blockbuster drugs, used as an angiotensin converting various neuronal syndromes. enzyme inhibitor (ACEi), currently used in the treatment of All the above considerations led us to gather the current hypertension, generating more than 8 billion dollars a year. state of the art on natural toxins or toxic compounds targeted Nowadays, a representative instance comes from the suc- to ion channels with possible applications in health care and cessfully commercialized toxin product “Ziconotide,” devel- biotechnology. oped by Eli Lilly Incorporated (USA), from the venom of This special issue provides a timely focus on the recent Conus. On the other side, JZMed Incorporated, a worldwide progress in our understanding of the mechanisms of toxins renowned market research firm specialized in the Chinese specially involved in neuronal dysfunctions. Geographically pharmaceutical industry, once forecasted that the Chinese dispersed excellent specialists in this area from China, Brazil, preclinical and toxicology outsourcing industry would likely USA, and France contributed to this special issue with 6 grow in a compound annual growth rate of 27% in five years papers: 5 reviews and 1 full research article, covering from 2 Journal of Toxicology structure-function relationship to the neurological diseases neuronal ion channels and zinc toxicity. The in-depth involved with ion channel-targeted toxins, including the researches in toxic chemicals targeted on neuronal receptors study of novel animal models. Although this special issue is may hopefully help to develop strategies to block zinc- a first attempt in the field of ion channel-targeted toxicology, mediated damage and prevent undesirable outcomes. a subsequent and more expanded issue with complementary A very interesting study was developed by L. C. Carrijo- topics shall be released in the near future. Carvalho et al., who discovered a peptide believed to be The development in the field of toxinology owes much involved in development, regeneration, and pathological to the use of various nervous preparations obtained from processes. It is abundant in the venom of the caterpillar various animal models. Among them, the biophysical prin- Lonomia obliqua. Notably, this research evaluated the effects ciples of the nervous system function in insects have been of this peptide based on lipocalin motif in human fibroblasts shown to be the same as in mammals. In both groups of in morphogenesis and tissue homeostasis. This was the animals, similar neurotransmitters can be found, although first paper of lipocalins modulating fibroblasts and ECM their distribution varies. M. Stankiewicz et al. present the role proteins. of the nervous system of the cockroach Periplaneta americana We extremely appreciated the great contributions of the as a well-addressed preparation in the development of tox- researchers who have warmly participated in this special issue inological studies. In addition, they provide a systematic as writers or reviewers. It is our best wish that the special introduction to electrophysiological methods to be applied issue presented here incites new studies that provide a better therewith, which allow us to perform pharmacological tests understanding of the mechanisms underlying