Some Biochemical, Biological And Immunochemical Characteristics Of The Venom From Six Species of Micrurus. 

¹Hernández, C.; ¹Magaña, P.; ²Carbajal, A.; ¹Estévez, J.; ³Gómez C.; ⁴Paniagua-Solís, J.F.; ²Alagón, A.; ⁴García, W; ⁵de Roodt, A.R.

1 Instituto Bioclón, México DF, México; 2 Instituto de Biotecnología, Morelos, Cuernavaca, México; 4 Laboratorio Central de Salud Pública de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 3 Laboratorios Silanes, México DF, México; 5 Instituto Nacional de Producción de Biológicos – A.N.L.I.S. “Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán”, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The venoms from M. nigrocinctus (Mn), M. fulvius (Mf), M. surinamensis (Ms), M. pyrrhocryptus (Mp), M. altirrostris (Ma) and M. mesopotamicus (Mm) were studied. Venoms were studied by SDS-PAGE in reducing and non reducing conditions and the chromatography by reverse phase in a C18 column in a HPLC system was performed. Electrophoretic and chromatographic profiles showed different patterns for each venom although were principally observed components of low molecular masses. The i.p. lethal dose 50% (LD50) in CF-1 mice of the venoms were: Mn 2.3 ± 0.5mg (1.1-3.6mg), Mf 1.9 ± 0.4mg (0.9-3.0mg), Ms 1.2 ± 0.2mg (0.5-2.0 mg), Mp 1.3 ± 0.3mg, (0.6-1.9 mg), Ma 1.2 ± 0.3mg, (0.6-1.8 mg) being the venom of Mm the most potent with a LD50 of 0.5 ± 0.2mg (0.1-0.9mg). Venoms of Mf and Mn showed the highest indirect hemolytic and phospholipase A2 activities whereas Ms venom showed the lowest indirect hemolytic activity and phospholipase A2. The immunochemical reactivity of the venoms was studied by ELISA using two therapeutic anti-Micrurus antivenoms (one from North America and other from South America) and four experimental antivenoms (anti-Mf, anti-Mn, anti-Ms antivenoms and a polyspecific anti-Mf-Ms-Mn antivenom). It was observed cross reactivity against all the venoms with all the antivenoms, however, the reactivity was higher using the homologous venoms or venoms from snakes geographically related. The neutralizing potency of the experimental polyspecific antivenom was similar to that obtained with homologous antivenoms.