Received: October 14, 2008.

Accepted: July 8, 2009.

Abstract published online: July 17, 2009.

Full paper published online: August 31, 2009.

IN VITRO HEMOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF Bothrops lanceolatus (FER-DE-LANCE) VENOM

Martins LJ (1), de Araújo PMF (2), Bon C (3)†, Hyslop S (1), de Araújo AL (1)

(1) Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Unicamp, Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil; (2) Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Unicamp,  Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil; (3) National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France.

ABSTRACT: Bothrops lanceolatus venom contains a variety of enzymatic and biological activities. The present work investigated the hemolytic activity of this venom and its phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Bothrops lanceolatus venom (6.7 µg/mL) caused indirect hemolysis of cow, horse, rat and sheep erythrocytes, with horse erythrocytes being the most sensitive; no direct hemolysis was observed. Hemolysis in sheep erythrocytes was concentration-dependent (5-11.7 µg/mL) and markedly attenuated by heating the venom for 30 minutes at 40°C and by the PLA2 inhibitor p-bromophenacyl bromide. An acidic PLA2 (5 µg/mL) purified from B. lanceolatus venom also caused hemolysis. This PLA2 showed immunoprecipitin lines with antivenom against B. lanceolatus, which suggests that the enzymatic and hemolytic activities of this enzyme may be neutralized during antivenom therapy. These results indicate that B. lanceolatus venom and its PLA2 can cause hemolysis in vitro.

KEY WORDS: Bothrops lanceolatus, hemolytic activity, phospholipase A2, snake venom.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: There is no conflict.

FINANCIAL SOURCE: CNPq.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

ALBETIZA LÔBO DE ARAÚJO, Departamento de Farmacologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, UNICAMP, Caixa Postal 6111, Campinas, SP, 13.083-970, Brasil. Phone: +55 19 3521 9529. Fax: +55 19 3289 2968. Email: albetiza@fcm.unicamp.br.