title: Preclinical evaluation of three polyspecific antivenoms against the venom of Echis ocellatus: Neutralization of toxic activities and antivenomics.
abstract: Snakebite envenoming has a heavy burden in the public health in sub-Saharan Africa. The viperid species Echis ocellatus (carpet viper or saw-scaled viper) is the medically most important snake in the savannahs of western sub-Saharan Africa. Several antivenoms are being distributed and used in this region for the treatment of envenomings by E. ocellatus, but the preclinical efficacy of some of these antivenoms has not been assessed. The present study evaluated the preclinical efficacy against E. ocellatus venom of three polyspecific antivenoms: (a) Snake Venom Antiserum (Pan Africa), manufactured by Premium Serums and Vaccines (India); (b) Snake Venom Antiserum (Africa), manufactured by VINS Bioproducts (India); and (c) Antivipmyn(®) Africa, manufactured by Instituto Bioclon (Mexico). Antivenomics analysis revealed the ability of the three antivenoms to immunocapture the majority of components of the venoms of E. ocellatus from Cameroon, Nigeria and Mali, although their maximal immunocapturing capability varied. Bioclon and Premium Serums antivenoms were effective in the neutralization of lethal, hemorrhagic and in vitro coagulant activities of the venom of E. ocellatus from Cameroon, albeit with different potencies. VINS antivenom neutralized hemorrhagic activity of this venom, but failed to neutralize lethality at the highest antivenom dose tested, and had a low neutralizing efficacy against in vitro coagulant effect.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Venómica Estructural y Funcional, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: jcalvete@ibv.csic.es.
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Calvete
authors.affiliation: Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Ana Silvia
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Venómica Estructural y Funcional, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Yania
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Venómica Estructural y Funcional, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Sarai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quesada-Bernat
authors.affiliation: Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Laura V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR MERIT "Mother and Child Facing Tropical Diseases", Cotonou, Benin; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Faculté de Pharmacie, Avenue de l'Observatoire, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jean Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chippaux
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Venómica Estructural y Funcional, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: dpla@ibv.csic.es.
authors.forename: Davinia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pla
authors.affiliation: Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica. Electronic address: jose.gutierrez@ucr.ac.cr.
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000997:Antivenins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D051379:Mice; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014757:Viper Venoms / Q000633:toxicity*; D017819:Viperidae
chemical_list: D000997:Antivenins; D014757:Viper Venoms
keywords: Africa; Antivenomics; Antivenoms; Echis ocellatus venom; Lethality; Neutralization