Neutralização de atividades farmacologicas e enzimaticas de venenos crotalicos perante antivenenos

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2005

RESUMO

Crotoxin, the main neurotoxin from venom of the rattlesnakes Crotalus durissus terrificus and Crotalus durissus cascavella, is a protein complex that contains a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) basic and an acid protein, crotapotin. The venom and the purified crotoxin from C. d. cascavella venom were studied with relationship to the neurotoxic and myotoxic effects in the chick biventer cervicis preparation. The venom and crotoxin showed neuromuscular blockade in this preparation at doses as low as 0,2 mg/ml and 1 mg/ml. With relationship to the myotoxic effect, the myonecrosis was stronger with higher doses of venom and crotoxin (1, 5 and 25 mg/ml). These results showed that the C. d. cascavella venom and its crotoxin possess a preponderant and quite potent neurotoxic effect in this preparation, and a myotoxic action that was observed only at higher doses. To clarify the crotoxin neutralization mechanism by antibodies, specific anti-sera was produced against the crotoxin and PLA2 from C. d. cascavella venom. The title of antibodies and specificity of the anti-sera raised in rabbits were tested by ELISA and immunoblotting, respectively. The neutralization of the neurotoxic activity was evaluated through myoghraphic technique in the chick biventer cervicis and mouse phrenic nerve diaphragm preparations. The neutralizing capacity of the anti-sera against crotoxin and PLA2 in the mouse preparation was comparable to the commercial crotalic antiserum produced against the C. d. terrificus venom. The anti-crotoxin anti-sera was a little less potent than the anti-PLA2 and this confirms the central role of PLA2 in the mechanism of neurotoxicity of the crotoxin. In this work, we also examined the ability of rabbit anti-serum raised against crotapotin purified from Crotalus durissus cascavella venom to neutralize the neurotoxicity and myotoxicity of this venom and crotoxin, and to inhibit the enzymatic activity of the crotoxin complex and PLA2 alone. This anti-serum to crotapotin partially neutralized the neuromuscular blockade caused by venom and crotoxin in electrically stimulated mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparations, without preventing the resulting morphological damage or inhibiting the PLA2 activity. In contrast, rabbit anti-sera to PLA2 and crotoxin effectively neutralized the neuromuscular and PLA2 activities. The partial neutralization of the neurotoxicity of crotoxin by the anti-serum to crotapotin suggested that this anti-serum may prevent the interaction of intact crotoxin with its recceptor by causing dissociation of the crotoxin complex through binding to crotapotin. In this study, we also examined the ability of anti-sera raised against crotoxin and PLA2 to neutralize the neurotoxicity of Crotalus durissus terrificus and Bothrops jararacussu venoms and their major toxins, crotoxin and bothropstoxin-I (BthTX-I), respectively, in mouse isolated phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparations. Immunoblotting showed that anti-serum to crotoxin from C. d. cascavella recognized crotoxin from C. d. terrificus and BthTX-I from B. jararacussu, while anti-serum to PLA2 from C. d. cascavella recognized PLA2 from C. d. terrificus and BthTX-I from B. jararacussu. ELISA corroborated this cross-reactivity. These anti-sera efficiently neutralized the neuromuscular blockade caused by venom and crotoxin from C. d. terrificus in mouse preparation in similar proportions used to neutralize the venom and crotoxin from C. d. cascavella. Anti-crotoxin and anti-PLA2 anti-sera also efficiently neutralized this blockade produced by venom and main toxin of Bothrops jararacussu, bothropstoxin-I (BthTX-I), however higher doses of anti-sera was necessary for this neutralization. Therefore, the results show cross-reactivity between these venoms and its main toxins and also shown that anti-serum produced against PLA2 efficiently neutralized the neurotoxicity of C. d. terrificus and B. jararacussu venoms and their PLA2 toxins. These results confirms the important role of PLA2 in the neurotoxicity mechanism of the venoms

ASSUNTO(S)

fosfolipase a2 crotoxina veneno imunoglobulinas agentes neurotoxicos

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