Cytotoxic effects of arthropod venoms on various cultured cells.

The action of arthropod venoms is important to predators in search of prey and to humans as incidental victims or as a source for pharmacologically active compounds. Venoms from 30 arthropods (including 26 spider species) were assessed for cytotoxicity using cultured cells from one insect (Sf9) and three mammalian (murine neuroblastoma and macrophages and human osteosarcoma) sources. The most cytotoxic venoms to the four cell lines were from predatory jumping spiders (Salticidae, Phidippus sp.) and a centipede (Scolopenra sp.), with concentrations for 50% response of 1-8 microg venom per ml. The cytotoxicity of Phidippus ardens venom at these levels was instantaneous and evidenced by dramatic disruption of cell membranes resulting in cell collapse.