Ability of a polyvalent antivenom to neutralize the venom of Lachesis Muta Melanocephala, a new Costa Rican subspecies of the bushmaster (original) (raw)
Related papers
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.
Toxicon, 2001
Lachesis muta muta and Bothrops atrox snakes are responsible for most accidents occurring in the Amazon. The clinical features of the accidents are similar; however, there are still controversies about the efficacy of Bothrops antivenoms for treating L. m. muta accidents. In this work, we evaluated the antigenic cross-reactivity between these venoms using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and the efficacy of B. atrox and L. m. muta experimental antivenoms in cross-neutralizing the main toxic activities of each venom. Electrophoretic patterns differed consistently between the species. However, antigenic cross-reactivity was extensive except for a few bands. Several species-specific monoclonal antibodies were obtained by immunization of Balb/c mice with L. m. muta whole venom or B. atrox and L. m. muta specific antigens. The monoclonal antibodies specific to L. m. muta recognized different bands of this venom and the antibodies specific to B. atrox recognized a complex pattern on whole venom by Western blotting. These antibodies are important tools for developing an immunoassay able to discriminate patients bitten by these snakes. The experiments involving cross-neutralization of the main activities of the venoms showed that hemorrhage and blood incoagulability induced by B. atrox venom were similarly neutralized by both B. atrox and L. m. muta antivenoms. However, B. atrox antivenom partially neutralized the hemorrhage and completely failed in neutralizing coagulopathy induced by L. m. muta venom. Therefore, antigenic variation between B. atrox and L. m. muta venoms does occur and the use of specific antivenom is suggested for patients bitten by Lachesis snakes. ᭧
Toxicon, 2003
Polyvalent (Crotalinae) and anticoral (Elapidae) antivenoms produced by Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Costa Rica, were assessed for their ability to neutralize various toxic activities of the venoms of North American snakes of the genera Crotalus, Agkistrodon and Micrurus, in assays involving preincubation of venom and antivenom. When the intraperitoneal route of injection was utilized, polyvalent (Crotalinae) antivenom was effective in the neutralization of the venoms of Crotalus atrox, Crotalus adamanteus, Crotalus viridis viridis, Crotalus horridus atricaudatus, Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix and Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus, whereas the venom of Crotalus scutulatus was not neutralized. When the intravenous route was used, results differed depending on the 'challenge dose' of venom employed. Polyvalent antivenom neutralized all venoms when mice were challenged with 2 LD 50 s of venom. When 5 LD 50 s were used, antivenom neutralized the venoms of C. atrox, C. adamanteus, C. v. viridis and C. h. atricaudatus, being ineffective in the neutralization of C. scutulatus, A. c. contortrix and A. p. piscivorus. Polyvalent antivenom was effective in the neutralization of hemorrhagic and myotoxic activities of all venoms studied. It also neutralized coagulant activity of C. adamanteus venom, whereas most of the venoms were devoid of clotting activity on plasma in vitro. Moreover, it neutralized defibrinating activity of the only three venoms that induced this effect (i.e. C. adamanteus, A. c. contortrix and A. p. piscivorus). Anticoral (Elapidae) antivenom neutralized lethality induced by the venom of Micrurus fulvius, using either the intravenous or the intraperitoneal routes of injection. Moreover, it neutralized myotoxic effect of this venom as well. It is concluded that polyvalent antivenom neutralizes lethality and other activities of most of the crotaline venoms tested. However, since it is ineffective in neutralizing the lethal effect of C. scutulatus venom, it is suggested that a venom containing presynaptically-active neurotoxic phospholipases A 2 related to 'mojave toxin' needs to be introduced in the immunizing mixture in order to increase the neutralizing scope of this product in North America. Anticoral antivenom is highly effective in the neutralization of the venom of M. fulvius. q
Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology, 2017
The venom of Crotalus durissus terrificus produces a neurotoxic and myotoxic syndrome that can lead to the death. Specific antivenom is the only treatment to neutralize the toxicity of the venom and the precocity in applying the antivenom is crucial for the efficiency of the treatment. We studied the variation of the immunochemical reactivity and neutralizing capacity of the specific antivenom on this venom in pre-incubation and rescue experiments, at different times. ELISA titers increased with longer venom-antivenom incubation times (p < 0.05) nevertheless incubation times had no effect on the neutralizing capacity of the antivenom. The antivenom dose necessary to rescue mice injected with 1.5 MMD (minimal mortal dose) 30 min after venom inoculation was over ten folds the dose of antivenom theoretically required to neutralize the same dose of venom according values obtained from pre-incubation experiments. Results showed that the in vitro immunochemical reactivity is not direct...
Toxicon, 1989
F . CI-IAVFS, J. M. GuTdRREZ, B. LOMONTE and L. CsRDi~s. Histopathological and biochemical alterations induced by intramuscular injection of Bothrops riper (terciopelo) venom in mice . Toxicon 27, 1081093, 1989 .-The local and systemic pathological changes induced by an i.m . injection of 100 ug of Bothrops riper venom in mice were studied histologically and by following th ; changes in serum levels of enzymes, proteins, ATP and lactate, as well as alterations in hematocrit and clotting time. B. aspen venom induced a rapid and marked increase in serum levels of creatine kinase, asparta,te aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase, but not alanine aminotransferase or alkaline phosphatase. A local myonecrosis and hemorrhage was observed, with the lungs collapsing by 24 hr and the kidneys showing glomerular congestion and vacuolar degeneration of tubular cells. Only minor histopathological changes were observed in cardiac muscle and liver. Both ATP and lactate blood levels decreased after venom injection, whereas there were no changes in serum protein concentration . Blood incoagulability was observed 1 and 3 hr after envenomation . Antivenom neutralized venom-induced increases in serum enzyme levels following preincubation with venom, indicating that antivenom contains antibodies against tissue-damaging toxins. However, when antivenom was administered i.v . at different time intervals after venom injection, neutralization was only partial, with the exception of defibrinating activity, which was totally neutralized even after a delay of 1 hr in administering antivenom.
Antidotes against venomous animals: State of the art and prospectives
Journal of Proteomics, 2009
This communication revises the state of the art concerning antivenoms against snakes, spiders and scorpions. An overview of the historical facts that preceded the therapeutic use of antibodies is mentioned. A brief list of the major protein components of these venomous animals is revised with a short discussion of what is known on the proteomic analysis of their venoms, but the emphasis is placed on the type of antivenoms available commercially, including pertinent literature and addresses of the companies that prepare these antivenoms. The final section revises and discusses current research on the field and new potential applications that are being developed geared at obtaining new therapeutic antibodies or fragments of antibodies for neutralization of toxic components of venomous animals.
Academic Emergency Medicine, 2006
Objectives: North American coral snake antivenin (CSAV; Wyeth Antivenin [Micrurus fulvius], equine origin) is approved for the treatment of coral snake envenomations in the United States. The coral snake is the only elapid that is native to North America, but envenomations from non-native elapids are occurring more commonly in this country. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of CSAV in the neutralization of two exotic elapid envenomations: Naja naja (Indian cobra) and Dendroaspis polylepsis (black mamba).
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. #