THE VENOM OF Bothrops asper FROM PANAMA: BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND TOXIC ACTIVITIES

QUINTERO A. (1,2,3), GONZÁLEZ I. (2), SOARES, AM.(4), ARANTES, EC.(3)

(1) Chemistry Department, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of Chiriqui (UNACHI), Panama (2) Toxicological Research Group, Faculty of Natural Sciences, UNACHI, Panama; (3) Department of Physicochemical, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FCFRP-USP), Brazil (4) Department of Clinical, Toxicological and Bromatological Analyses, FCFRP-USP, Brazil

Bothrops asper is responsible for approximately half of the snakebite envenomations in Central America. Despite its medical relevance, only the venom of Costa Rican and Guatemala populations of this species has been studied to some detail, and there is very little information on intraspecies variability in venom composition and toxicity. Venom of Bothrops asper from Panama was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing, and its basic pharmacological activities were investigated with standard laboratory assays.Electrophoretic profile of Bothrops asper venom from Panama in SDS-PAGE showed the presence of several protein bands ranging from 16 to 90 kDa.  The isoelectric focusing evidenced pattern of protein spots, ranging from acidic to highly basic components. The venom of Bothrops asper from Panama has lethal (LD50 ~ 55 mg/mouse, by the intraperitoneal route), hemorrhagic (Minimum Hemorrhagic Dose: 6,3 ± 3,6 mm), myotoxic (Minimum Myotoxic Dose: 10±1 mg), edema-forming (Minimum Edema-forming Dose:1±0,1  mg), coagulant (Minimum Coagulant Dose: 3,5±0,05 mg), fibrinolytic (Minimum Fibrinolytic Dose: 0,5 mg/mL), and phospholipase A2 (27,2 ± 0,45 mEq/mg.min) activities showing a similar toxicological profile to the previously described for Bothrops asper from Costa Rica and Guatemala.

KEY WORDS: snake venom, snake, Bothrops asper, Panama, biochemical characterization, toxic activities.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT: FULBRIGHT-OEA, SENACYT-IFARHU, CSS-PANAMA and MATSUMAE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:  Aristides Quintero Rueda, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil, Phone:  + 55 (016) 3602-4717  Fax:  + 55(016) 3633- 2960.  Email: aquinter@fcfrp.usp.br