title: The variability of Vipera ammodytes ammodytes venoms from Croatia--biochemical properties and biological activity.
abstract: Vipera ammodytes ammodytes venom has been used for many years in Croatia for immunization of horses and production of specific therapeutic anti-venoms. The neutralizing effectiveness of anti-venoms is directly dependent on the properties of the snake venom used for immunization. Therefore, appropriate characterization of the whole venom is necessary prior to use in the immunization procedure. In the course of such analyses, the variability in biochemical properties and biological activity was observed in venoms collected from snakes originating from different parts of Croatia. The venom pools also differed with respect to time of snake collection (1992-2003). Analyses of three samples of whole venom pools were carried out revealing differences in lethal activity (LD50), minimum haemorrhagic dose (MHD), minimum necrotizing dose (MND), phospholipase A2 activity and in anticomplementary activity. SDS-PAGE electrophoretic patterns were similar, but not identical, for all tested venom pools with respect to the number of protein bands detected, but intensity of particular components differed. Preliminary immunogenicity testing in terms of determination of specific antibodies revealed similar immunogenicity and high cross-reactivity for three samples tested.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Inc., P.O. Box 266, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lang Balija
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vrdoljak
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Habjanec
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dojnović
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Halassy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vranesić
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tomasić
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000997:Antivenins / Q000032:analysis; D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D017523:Croatia; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009336:Necrosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000378:metabolism; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D014757:Viper Venoms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D017819:Viperidae
chemical_list: D000997:Antivenins; D003169:Complement Inactivator Proteins; D014757:Viper Venoms; D010741:Phospholipases A; D054467:Phospholipases A2