title: Experimental manufacture of equine antivenom against yamakagashi (Rhabdophis tigrinus).
abstract: Yamakagashi, Rhabdophis tigrinus, is a natricine snake widely distributed in eastern Asia. Severe bite cases, some with fatal outcomes, occur regularly in Japan. Because previous production of R. tigrinus antivenom in rabbits and goats was quite effective, we considered the experimental manufacture of a new antivenom against R. tigrinus in horses. This new antivenom could be used in emergency treatment of snakebite victims. Two horses were immunized with venom extracted from about 500 snakes. After an adequate increase of the antivenom titer, serum was collected and subjected to standard purification procedures for the manufacture of equine antivenoms. The purified immunoglobulin fraction was freeze-dried in 1,369 vials under optimum conditions for therapeutic use. This antivenom proved to be very potent in neutralizing the coagulant and hemorrhagic activities of the snake venom. In cases of severe bites, this antivenom was used and recognized as effective even after the occurrence of severe symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Chemo-Sero-Therapeutic Research Institute (KAKETSUKEN), Kumamoto 860-8568, Japan. morokuma＠kaketsuken.or.jp
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morokuma
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kobori
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Michihisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toriba
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohkuma
authors.forename: Kiyoto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakai
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurata
authors.forename: Motohide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000997:Antivenins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017812:Colubridae; D006736:Horses; D007564:Japan; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000628:therapy*; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000997:Antivenins