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op den Brouw B, Coimbra FCP, Bourke LA, Huynh TM, Vlecken DHW, Ghezellou P, Visser JC, Dobson JS, Fernandez-Rojo MA, Ikonomopoulou MP, Casewell NR, Ali SA, Fathinia B, Hodgson WC, Fry BG. Extensive Variation in the Activities of Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis Viper Venoms Suggests Divergent Envenoming Strategies Are Used for Prey Capture. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:112. [PMID: 33540884 PMCID: PMC7913145 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes of the genera Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis (Viperidae: Viperinae) are known as the desert vipers due to their association with the arid environments of the Middle East. These species have received limited research attention and little is known about their venom or ecology. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of desert viper venoms was conducted by visualising the venom proteomes via gel electrophoresis and assessing the crude venoms for their cytotoxic, haemotoxic, and neurotoxic properties. Plasmas sourced from human, toad, and chicken were used as models to assess possible prey-linked venom activity. The venoms demonstrated substantial divergence in composition and bioactivity across all experiments. Pseudocerastes urarachnoides venom activated human coagulation factors X and prothrombin and demonstrated potent procoagulant activity in human, toad, and chicken plasmas, in stark contrast to the potent neurotoxic venom of P. fieldi. The venom of E. macmahonii also induced coagulation, though this did not appear to be via the activation of factor X or prothrombin. The coagulant properties of P. fieldi and P. persicus venoms varied among plasmas, demonstrating strong anticoagulant activity in the amphibian and human plasmas but no significant effect in that of bird. This is conjectured to reflect prey-specific toxin activity, though further ecological studies are required to confirm any dietary associations. This study reinforces the notion that phylogenetic relatedness of snakes cannot readily predict venom protein composition or function. The significant venom variation between these species raises serious concerns regarding antivenom paraspecificity. Future assessment of antivenom is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca op den Brouw
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Francisco C. P. Coimbra
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Lachlan A. Bourke
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Tam Minh Huynh
- Monash Venom Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (T.M.H.); (W.C.H.)
| | - Danielle H. W. Vlecken
- Department of Animal Science and Health, Institute of Biology Leiden, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Parviz Ghezellou
- Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran;
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jeroen C. Visser
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - James S. Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Manuel A. Fernandez-Rojo
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.A.F.-R.); (M.P.I.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Maria P. Ikonomopoulou
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.A.F.-R.); (M.P.I.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK;
| | - Syed A. Ali
- HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan;
| | - Behzad Fathinia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yasouj University, 75914 Yasouj, Iran;
| | - Wayne C. Hodgson
- Monash Venom Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (T.M.H.); (W.C.H.)
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
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Liang Q, Huynh TM, Konstantakopoulos N, Isbister GK, Hodgson WC. An Examination of the Neutralization of In Vitro Toxicity of Chinese Cobra ( Naja atra) Venom by Different Antivenoms. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8100377. [PMID: 32992934 PMCID: PMC7599741 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8100377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The Chinese Cobra (Naja atra) is an elapid snake of major medical importance in southern China. We describe the in vitro neurotoxic, myotoxic, and cytotoxic effects of N. atra venom, as well as examining the efficacy of three Chinese monovalent antivenoms (N. atra antivenom, Gloydius brevicaudus antivenom and Deinagkistrodon acutus antivenom) and an Australian polyvalent snake antivenom. In the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation, N. atra venom (1–10 µg/mL) abolished indirect twitches in a concentration-dependent manner, as well as abolishing contractile responses to exogenous acetylcholine chloride (ACh) and carbamylcholine chloride (CCh), indicative of post-synaptic neurotoxicity. Contractile responses to potassium chloride (KCl) were also significantly inhibited by venom indicating myotoxicity. The prior addition of Chinese N. atra antivenom (0.75 U/mL) or Australian polyvalent snake antivenom (3 U/mL), markedly attenuated the neurotoxic actions of venom (3 µg/mL) and prevented the inhibition of contractile responses to ACh, CCh, and KCl. The addition of Chinese antivenom (0.75 U/mL) or Australian polyvalent antivenom (3 U/mL) at the t90 time point after the addition of venom (3 µg/mL), partially reversed the inhibition of twitches and significantly reversed the venom-induced inhibition of responses to ACh and CCh, but had no significant effect on the response to KCl. Venom (30 µg/mL) also abolished direct twitches in the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation and caused a significant increase in baseline tension, further indicative of myotoxicity. N. atra antivenom (4 U/mL) prevented the myotoxic effects of venom (30 µg/mL). However, G. brevicaudus antivenom (24 U/mL), D. acutus antivenom (8 U/mL) and Australian polyvalent snake antivenom (33 U/mL) were unable to prevent venom (30 µg/mL) induced myotoxicity. In the L6 rat skeletal muscle myoblast cell line, N. atra venom caused concentration-dependent inhibition of cell viability, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2.8 ± 0.48 μg/mL. N. atra antivenom significantly attenuated the cytotoxic effect of the venom, whereas Australian polyvalent snake antivenom was less effective but still attenuated the cytotoxic effects at lower venom concentrations. Neither G. brevicaudus antivenom or D. acutus antivenom were able to prevent the cytotoxicity. This study indicates that Chinese N. atra monovalent antivenom is efficacious against the neurotoxic, myotoxic and cytotoxic effects of N. atra venom but the clinical effectiveness of the antivenom is likely to be diminished, even if given early after envenoming. The use of Chinese viper antivenoms (i.e., G. brevicaudus and D. acutus antivenoms) in cases of envenoming by the Chinese cobra is not supported by the results of the current study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Liang
- Monash Venom Group, Department of Pharmacology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia; (Q.L.); (T.M.H.); (N.K.); (G.K.I.)
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 151 Yanjiang Rd, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Tam Minh Huynh
- Monash Venom Group, Department of Pharmacology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia; (Q.L.); (T.M.H.); (N.K.); (G.K.I.)
| | - Nicki Konstantakopoulos
- Monash Venom Group, Department of Pharmacology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia; (Q.L.); (T.M.H.); (N.K.); (G.K.I.)
| | - Geoffrey K. Isbister
- Monash Venom Group, Department of Pharmacology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia; (Q.L.); (T.M.H.); (N.K.); (G.K.I.)
- Clinical Toxicology Research Group, University of Newcastle, Callaghan 2308, Australia
| | - Wayne C. Hodgson
- Monash Venom Group, Department of Pharmacology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia; (Q.L.); (T.M.H.); (N.K.); (G.K.I.)
- Correspondence:
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