Cytotoxicity of Southeast Asian snake venoms

Jamunaa A (1), Vejayan J (2), Halijah I (1), Sharifah SH (2), Ambu S (3)

(1) Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; (2) School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia; (3) International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Abstract: Cytotoxicity of venoms from eleven medically important snakes found in Southeast Asia (Naja kaouthia, Naja siamensis, Naja sumatrana, Ophiophagus hannah, Bungarus candidus, Bungarus fasciatus, Enhydrina schistosa, Calloselasma rhodostoma, Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus andTropidolaemus sumatranus) was determined, based on the MTS cytotoxicity assay, which determines the survival of viable cells in monolayer MDCK and Vero cell cultures upon exposure to the snake venoms. Snake venom toxicity was expressed as the venom dose that killed 50% of the cells (CTC50) under the assay conditions. Venoms of C. rhodostoma (2.6 μg/mL, 1.4 μg/mL) and O. hannah were the most cytotoxic (3.8 μg/mL, 1.7 μg/mL) whereas N. siamensis venom showed the least cytotoxicity (51.9 μg/mL, 45.7 μg/mL) against Vero and MDCK cells, respectively. All the viper venoms showed higher cytotoxic potency towards both Vero and MDCK cell lines, in comparison to krait and cobra venoms. E. schistosa did not cause cytotoxicity towards MDCK or Vero cells at the tested concentrations. The cytotoxicity correlates well with the known differences in the composition of venoms from cobras, kraits, vipers and sea snakes.

Key words: cytotoxicity, snake venom, vipers, elapids, kraits.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to acknowledge Mr. Zainuddin of Bukit Bintang Enterprise for handling the snakes during venom milking.

COPYRIGHT

© CEVAP 2012

SUBMISSION STATUS

Received: June 26, 2011.

Accepted: October 21, 2011.

Abstract published online: October 26, 2011.

Full paper published online: May 31, 2012.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

FINANCIAL SOURCE

The authors would like to acknowledge Monash University Sunway Campus for the grant (awarded in 2009) to complete this study.

ETHICS COMMITTEE APPROVAL

The experiments were conducted according to the ethics norm approved by the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) of Monash Australia (AEC No: SOBCB/MY/2008/36).

CORRESPONDENCE TO

Jaya Vejayan, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University, Sunway Campus, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Fax: +603 55146323. Email: jayavejayan@yahoo.com.