Individual venom variability in the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus cumanensis.
Crotalus durissus cumanensis snake venoms from different Venezuelan regions, showed biochemical and hemostatic variations. Fibrino(geno)lytic, hemorrhagic and procoagulant activities and gel-filtration chromatography and SDS-PAGE profiles were analyzed. Differences were observed in fibrinolytic activity: kallikrein-like amidolytic activity was highest in venoms of Santa Teresa, and Margarita. Lagunetica and Carrizales venoms showed the maximum fibrin lysis. The highest hemorrhagic activity was seen in Lagunetica venom. Margarita had the lowest LD(50) of 0.18. Lagunetica, Carrizales and Anzoátegui induced a rapid degradation of fibrinogen alpha chains and slower degradation on beta chains, which could possibly due to a higher content of alpha fibrinogenases in these venoms. This fibrinogenolytic activity is decreased by metalloprotease inhibitors. All venoms, except Carrizales, presented thrombin-like activity. Anzoátegui, Carrizales and Lagunetica, in which fibrinolytic activity was present, showed the largest concentration of high molecular mass components. These results represent a new finding, not previously described, of fibrinolytic activity in South American C. durissus venoms. Santa Teresa and Margarita had fibrinolytic activity, and lack of hemorrhagic activity, representing an important finding in Venezuelan venoms since the description of a fibrinolytic molecule without hemorrhagic activity can have valuable potential in thrombolytic therapy.
Aguilar
Irma
I
Sección de Inmunoquímica, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, Apartado 47423, Caracas 1041, Venezuela.
Guerrero
Belsy
B
Maria Salazar
Ana
A
Girón
Maria E
ME
Pérez
John C
JC
Sánchez
Elda E
EE
Rodríguez-Acosta
Alexis
A
D000577:Amides / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000737:chemistry; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D013020:South America; D014687:Venezuela
D000577:Amides; D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D011506:Proteins; D005340:Fibrinogen