Neutralizing potency of horse antibothropic antivenom. Correlation between in vivo and in vitro methods (original) (raw)

Detection and neutralization of venom by ovine antiserum in experimental envenoming by Bothrops jararaca

Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, 2006

In this study we optimized an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to evaluate bothropic venom levels in biological samples. These samples were obtained by two distinct protocols. In the first one, Swiss mice were injected with 1 LD 50 of Bothrops jararaca (B. jararaca) venom and 15 minutes later, animals were treated with ovine antibothropic serum. Blood and spleen homogenate samples were obtained 6 hours after antiserum therapy. Ovine antibothropic serum significantly neutralized venom levels in serum and spleen. In the second protocol, BALB/c mice were injected with 1 LD 50 of bothropic venom by either intraperitoneal (IP) or intradermal (ID) route and venom levels were evaluated 1, 3 and 6 hours after, in blood, spleen homogenates and urine. Serum and splenic venom levels were significantly higher in animals envenomed by IP route comparing with animals envenomed by ID route. Higher venom levels were also detected in urine samples from animals envenomed by IP route. However, these differences were not statistically significant. These results demonstrated that the optimized ELISA was adequate to quantify venom levels in different biological samples. This assay could, therefore, substitute the in vivo neutralizing assay and also be useful to evaluate the severity of human and experimental envenomations.

Development of an ELISA to assess the potency of horse therapeutic polyvalent antibothropic antivenom

Toxicon, 1998

vjo dos Santos. Development of an ELISA to assess the potency of horse therapeutic polyvalent antibothropic antivenom. Toxicon 36, 1363±1370, 1998.ÐThe objective of this study was the search for a suitable venom antigen to be used in an in vitro alternative immunoassay, to the standard antivenom neutralization assay using mice. Bothrops jararaca venom was fractionated in DEAE-Sephacel columns and the fractions were tested for a correlation between antibody capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) absorbance values and the`in vivo' antivenom potency. Individual antivenoms from 14 horses and 15 separate FUNED polyspeci®c Bothrops ampouled antivenoms (®nal product) were used. Fractions showing the higher correlations were further chromatographed in a Sephadex G-75 column and again tested for the correlation. Two fractions with haemorrhagic activity displayed a correlation of r = 0.77 and r = 0.8 against the individual horse antivenom sera and of r = 0.79 and r = 0.8 for the ampouled antivenom. For all results p < 0.001. Two other fractions with phospholipase A 2 activity showed a correlation of r = 0.66 (p < 0.01) and r = 0.56 (p < 0.03) against the individual horse antivenom sera. Electrophoresis results show a similar composition for both antigens with haemorrhagic activity. Results indicate that the fractions puri®ed would be suitable for the desired objective of this study. #

Enzymatic and immunochemical characterization of Bothrops insularis venom and its neutralization by polyspecific Bothrops antivenom

Toxicon, 2007

Herein we compared the biological activities of Bothrops insularis and Bothrops jararaca venoms as well as their neutralization by polyspecific Bothrops antivenom (PBA). On account of that, we investigated their antigenic crossreactivity and the neutralization of lethal, myotoxic and defibrinating activities by polyspecific and species-specific antivenoms. Silver-stained SDS-PAGE gels evidenced many common bands particularly above 47 kDa between B. jararaca and B. insularis venoms. However, some protein bands between 46 and 28 kDa were observed exclusively in B. jararaca venom. Both venoms presented gelatinolytic, caseinolytic, fibrinogenolytic and phospholipase A 2 activities. No hyaluronidase activity was detected in both venoms by zymography. Polyspecific and species-specific antivenoms showed similar titers to B. jararaca and B. insularis venoms by ELISA, and recognized similar components by immunoblotting. The PBA was effective in neutralizing the lethal, myotoxic and defibrinating activities of both venoms as well as to abrogate microcirculatory disturbances induced by B. insularis venom. No statistically significant difference was observed for minimal hemorrhagic doses between both venoms. Antigenic cross-reactivity was evident between both venoms. Since toxic and enzymatic activities were similar, we speculate that B. insularis venoms can induce a local damage in humans comparable to that observed in other Bothrops venoms. Besides, the PBA was effective in neutralizing the toxic activities of B. insularis venom.

Neutralization, by a monospecific Bothrops lanceolatus antivenom, of toxic activities induced by homologous and heterologous Bothı́rops snake venoms

Toxicon, 1999

A monospeci®c Bothrops lanceolatus antivenom, currently used in Martinique, was tested for its ecacy in the neutralization of several toxic and enzymatic activities of the venoms of B. lanceolatus, B. atrox and B. asper. When tested by the i.p. route in mice, B. lanceolatus venom had an LD 50 of 12.8 mg/g. In addition, it induced local tissue damage (hemorrhage, edema and myotoxicity) and showed indirect hemolytic activity, but was devoid of coagulant eect on human plasma in vitro and of de®brinating activity in mice. Antivenom was fully eective in the neutralization of lethal, hemorrhagic, edema-forming, myotoxic and indirect hemolytic eects of B. lanceolatus venom in assays involving preincubation of venom and antivenom. When tested against the venoms of B. asper and B. atrox, the antivenom completely neutralized the lethal, hemorrhagic, myotoxic and indirect hemolytic eects, and was partially eective in neutralizing edema-forming activity. In contrast, the antivenom was ineective in the neutralization of in vitro coagulant and in vivo de®brinating eects induced by these two venoms. #

Assessment of the neutralizing potency of ovine antivenom in a swiss mice model of Bothrops jararaca envenoming

Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, 2005

Alternative sources of anti-ophidic serum are being investigated due to the secondary effects associated with types I and II hypersensitivity reactions. In the present study we raised and evaluated the protective effect of an ovine antibothropic serum in a Swiss mice envenoming model. Ovine antiserum was obtained by immunization with seven increasing doses of bothropic venom associated with adjuvants. The neutralizing ability was tested by the lethal activity (2 LD 50 ) neutralization and serum and splenic venom levels after antivenom administration to experimentally envenomed mice. The antiserum effect on local edema was also tested by injection of venom/antivenom mixtures into the mice footpads. Ovine antiserum neutralized lethal activity and also significantly decreased serum and splenic venom levels. However, this antiserum was not able to mediate any protective effect on edema triggered by bothropic venom.

Neutralization of Bothrops mattogrossensis snake venom from Bolivia: Experimental evaluation of llama and donkey antivenoms produced by caprylic acid precipitation

2010

Polyspecific bothropic/crotalic and bothropic/lachesic antivenoms were produced in Bolivia by immunizing two donkeys with the venoms of Bothrops mattogrossensis and Crotalus durissus terrificus and one llama with the venoms of B. mattogrossensis and Lachesis muta. These antivenoms are currently being used for snakebite envenomation in Bolivia. The rationale for using these animals is that donkeys and llamas are better adapted than horses to the high altitudes in South America and constitute good alternatives for antivenom production in these regions. Plasma was fractionated by caprylic acid precipitation of non-immunoglobulin plasma proteins, to obtain whole IgG preparations. Donkeyderived antivenom showed one band of 150 kDa when analyzed by SDS-PAGE, whereas llama antivenom presented two immunoglobulin bands, of 170 kDa and 120 kDa, the latter corresponding to the heavy-chain antibodies present in camelid sera. The effectiveness of these antivenoms to neutralize lethal, hemorrhagic, myotoxic, edema-forming, and defibrinogenating activities of the venom of B. mattogrossensis from Bolivia, a species formerly known as Bothrops neuwiedii, was assessed at the experimental level. Although llama antivenom has a total protein concentration four times lower than donkey antivenom, both preparations have similar neutralizing capacity against all toxic activities assessed. Llama and donkey IgG-based antivenoms are effective in the neutralization of B. mattogrossensis venom and represent valuable alternatives for antivenom manufacture in highland regions of South America.

Neutralization of bitis parviocula (Ethiopian mountain adder) venom by the south african institute of medical research (SAIMR) antivenom

Revista do Instituto de …, 2011

BACKGROUND: Serpente das Montanhas da Etiópia (Bitis parviocula) é um viperídeo conhecido somente em poucas localizações do sudoeste da Etiópia. MÉTODOS: Um total de 30 µg de veneno de B. arietans e B. parviocula foram corridos em gel de 10 a 20% de tricina. Para se estabelecer a quinquagésima dose de letalidade (LD50) foram usados cinco grupos de oito camundongos para cada veneno. A atividade hemorrágica para o veneno cru foi testada. A atividade fibrogenolítica do veneno cru foi medida usando 2,5 mg/mL de solução de fibrinogênio e 0,03 mg/mL de veneno cru. A atividade de gelatinase do veneno foi testada em um filme KODAK X-OMATTM. Venenos crus de B. parviocula e B. arietans foram testados no que diz respeito à sua capacidade de afetar o tempo de coagulação, a velocidade de coagulação e a função plaquetogênica em sangue humano total. RESULTADO: o antiveneno SAIMR foi confirmado neste estudo no que diz respeito à neutralização da atividade letal do veneno de Bitis parviocula. ED50s do antiveneno SAIMR sobre a B. parviocula e B. arietans neutralizou metade de 18,2 e 66,7 mg respectivamente do veneno. As atividades hemorrágicas (MHDs) de B. parviocula e B. arietans foram respectivamente 0,88 e 1,7 µg. Os venenos de B. arietans e B. parviocula degradaram cadeias α e β em tempos diferentes. A cadeia Γ permaneceu não afetada. O veneno da B. parviocula não mostrou atividade de gelatinase, enquanto o de B. arietans teve um MGD de 6,9 µg. A nível de 3 mg/mL os venenos crus de B. parviocula e B. arietans não afetaram significantemente o tempo e a velocidade de coagulação. CONCLUSÕES: O antiveneno SAIMR é bastante efetivo para neutralizar o veneno da B. parviocula e deveria ser considerado para o tratamento de envenenamentos por estas serpentes.

Comparison between IgG and F(ab′)2 polyvalent antivenoms: neutralization of systemic effects induced by Bothrops asper venom in mice, extravasation to muscle tissue, and potential for induction of adverse reactions

Toxicon, 2001

Whole IgG and F(ab H) 2 equine-derived polyvalent (Crotalinae) antivenoms, prepared from the same batch of hyperimmune plasma, were compared in terms of neutralization of the lethal and de®brinating activities induced by Bothrops asper venom, their ability to reach the muscle tissue compartment in envenomated mice, and their potential for the induction of adverse reactions. Both preparations were adjusted to the same potency against the lethal effect of B. asper venom in experiments involving preincubation of venom and antivenom. Then, ªrescueº experiments were performed, i.e. antivenom was administered either intravenously or intramuscularly at various times after envenomation. IgG and F(ab H) 2 antivenoms were equally effective in the neutralization of lethality, both being more effective when administered i.v. than after i.m. injection. Neutralization decreased as the time lapse between envenomation and treatment increased. No signi®cant differences were observed in the ability of antivenoms to neutralize de®brinating activity of B. asper venom in experiments involving independent injection of venom and antivenoms. There was a much higher accumulation of equine antibodies in muscle tissue that had been injected with B. asper venom than in non-envenomated tissue, indicating that venom-induced microvessel damage probably favors a prominent and similar extravasation of both IgG and F(ab H) 2 antibodies. This may explain the similar effectiveness of both types of antivenom in previously reported studies on the neutralization of venom-induced local tissue damage. Both IgG and F(ab H) 2 antivenoms activate human complement in vitro and induce an anti-equine immunoglobulin response in mice, indicating that Fc removal per se does not eliminate the potential for inducing adverse reactions. However, IgG antivenom had higher anticomplementary activity and induced a stronger anti-immunoglobulin response than F(ab H) 2 antivenom.