title: Cross-neutralization on the histamine-releasing activity of snake venoms.
abstract: This paper investigates the neutralizing effect of crotalic and bothropic antivenoms on the histamine-releasing activity of three different Brazilian snake venoms (Crotalus durissus terrificus, Bothrops jararacussu and Bothrops alternatus). This relative histamine-releasing activity was determined on peritoneal mixed cells of rats. C. d. terrificus venom was the most efficient histamine-releasing agent (ED50 = 1.25 micrograms/ml) followed by B. jararacussu (ED50 = 1.97 ug/ml) and B. alternatus (ED50 = 15.1 ug/ml) venoms. The histamine-releasing effects eventually produced by antivenom sera (antivenoms) were avoided by the use of small volumes of each one (10-20 ul). Both the monovalent crotalic and the polyvalent bothropic antivenoms were able to neutralize the histamine-releasing activity of the three venoms without specificity. This cross-reaction suggests that the main histamine-releasing factor (s) present in these venoms has similar antigenic constitution.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Cidade Universitária, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodrigues-Simioni
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prado-Franceschi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000997:Antivenins; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006636:Histamine Release / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D000997:Antivenins; D003435:Crotalid Venoms