title: Effect of venom from Cerastes cerastes (Egyptian sand viper) on luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of human blood phagocyte cells.
abstract: Cerastes cerastes venom added in vitro to human whole blood caused a marked inhibitory effect on the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence induced by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or opsonized zymosan on phagocyte cells. The inhibitory effect produced by the venom was both dose- and time-dependent when PMA was used as the stimulant of the oxidative burst. Similarly, the venom produced a significant inhibitory effect when added to isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Incubation of the isolated PMNs with the highest concentration of the venom used (1000 micrograms/ml), however, did not result in any significant disruption of the membranes of these cells. The effect of the venom on the isolated PMNs was also reversible following washing of the venom-treated cells with phosphate-buffered saline. The scavenger of reactive oxygen species such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and dimethyl sulphoxide potentiated the effect of the venom on the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence of human phagocyte cells. Sodium azide, the myeloperoxidase inhibitor, and sodium benzoate produced a similar potentiating effect. The results suggest that some of the toxicity of the venom may be mediated by an action on the phagocytic immune system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Pharmacology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mustafa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001386:Azides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008165:Luminol / Q000378:metabolism; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019810:Sodium Azide; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014757:Viper Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D015054:Zymosan / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001386:Azides; D014757:Viper Venoms; D013481:Superoxides; D008165:Luminol; D015054:Zymosan; D019810:Sodium Azide; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate