title: Potentiation of the toxicity of basic peptides from rattlesnake venoms by sodium acetate.
abstract: The potentiating effect of sodium acetate on the toxicity of crotamine from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, E toxin from Crotalus horridus horridus venom, and myotoxin a from Crotalus viridus viridis venom was examined. Subcutaneous injection of 6.3 mg/kg body weight of either crotamine or E toxin in 0.6 ml of water or myotoxin a in 0.6 ml of 0.05 M Tris/0.1 M NaCl buffer, pH 9.0, failed to produce lethality in mice. Injection of either E toxin or crotamine at doses of 4.0 mg/kg in 0.6 ml of 20 mM phosphate, pH 7.2, containing 1 M sodium chloride also failed to produce lethality. However, when any of the toxins were injected in 0.4 ml of 1 M sodium acetate, pH 7.0, lethality was observed. LD50 values of 1.43 mg/kg for E toxin, 1.39 mg/kg for crotamine and 0.56 mg/kg for myotoxin a were determined under these conditions. Lethality was also observed when either sodium propionate or sodium butyrate was used as a carrier for E toxin. The effect of these two buffers on crotamine and myotoxin a was not examined. Injection of E toxin s.c. in water followed at various time intervals with i.p. injections of 1 M sodium acetate produced lethality, even when the acetate was injected up to 4 hr after the toxin challenge.
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000633:toxicity*; D019342:Acetic Acid; D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000187:drug effects; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; C032814:hemorrhagin components (Crotalid); C018932:myotoxin A; C010563:crotamine; D019342:Acetic Acid