Poster 120.  Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Toxinologia, 8., Symposium of the Pan American Section of the International Society on Toxinology, 8., 2004, Angra dos Reis, Brasil.  Abstracts...  J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl.Trop. Dis., 2004, 10, 3, p.479.

 

 

Cardiotoxic activity of Bothrops jararacussu venom and the inhibition of by suramin. 

 

Daniel N. Sifuentes1, Carlos A. Schwartz1, Antonio Sebben1, Paulo A. Melo2, Elisabeth F. Schwartz1.

 

1 Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil; 2 Departamento de Farmacologia Básica e Clínica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

 

The cardiotoxic activity of the crotalid Bothropsjararacussu venom, and inhibition by suramin, a polysulfonated naphthylamine-amine-benzamide derivative, were investigated in the present study. The cardiotoxicity was evaluated on the frog Ranacatesbeiana heart by the in situ assay. The injection of B. jararacussu crude venom (1mg in 200 µL of saline solution) into the posterior cava vein resulted in a progressive negative inotropic and chronotropic activities leading to an irreversible heart failure after 35 min. The crude venom was preincubated with suramin (1:1, w:w, in saline, 15 min, 37°C) and then injected in the bullfrogs cava veins. This procedure reduced in 90% the effects of the venom on the decrease of the contractile force, and prevented the complete ventriculum stoppage. These data show the ability of suramin on inhibiting the cardiotoxic activity of B. jararacussu venom.

 

Correspondence to: sifuentes@unb.br