Loxosceles and Sicarius ornatus venom SMases D incorporate into human erythrocytes and cause loss of glycophorin C expression.

Erythrocytes were treated with venoms from Sicarius ornatus or Loxosceles or with VBS²⁺ buffer (control) and analyzed for the expression GPC by flow cytometry [A]. The ability of the toxins to insert into the erythrocyte surface was analyzed using a monospecific polyclonal rabbit serum against Loxosceles intermedia SMases D [B]. Results are representative for three different experiments and expressed as median of fluorescence of duplicates ± SD. The variation among experiments was around 10%. (*) Significant differences (P<0.05) from control; (#) Significant differences from L. laeta venom (P<0.05); (•) Significant difference between female and male Sicarius venoms (P<0.05).