Assessment of neutralization of Micrurus venoms with a blend of anti-Micrurus tener and anti-ScNtx antibodies.

Background: Micrurus venoms contain two main groups of toxic protein components: short-chain α-neurotoxins (SNtx) and phospholipases type A (PLA). In North America, generally, the Micrurus venoms have low abundance of SNtx compared to that of PLAs; however, both are highly toxic to mammals, and consequently both can play a major role in the envenomation processes. Concerning the commercial horse-derived antivenoms against Micrurus from the North America region, they contain a relatively large amount of antibodies against PLAs, and a low content of antibodies against short chain α-neurotoxins.

Biochemical and immunochemical characterization of venoms from snakes of the genus .

In the present work, venoms from five species of the genus were evaluated in terms of their enzymatic (Phospholipase A and caseinolytic) and biological (edema forming, hemorrhagic, procoagulant and lethal) effects. Horses were used to produce monovalent hyperimmune sera against each of three venoms ( and ) and their neutralizing potency, expressed as Median Effective Dose (ED), was determined against the venoms of all five species. In terms of PLA and caseinolytic activities, all venoms are extremely homogeneous.

Horse immunization with short-chain consensus α-neurotoxin generates antibodies against broad spectrum of elapid venomous species.

Antivenoms are fundamental in the therapy for snakebites. In elapid venoms, there are toxins, e.g.

Neutralization of Vipera and Macrovipera venoms by two experimental polyvalent antisera: a study of paraspecificity.

We conducted an extensive study of neutralization of lethality of 11 species and one subspecies of snakes of the genus Vipera, and of five species of Macrovipera, by two experimental equine antisera. One antiserum was a trivalent preparation raised against the venoms of Vipera aspis aspis, Vipera berus berus and Vipera ammodytes ammodytes; the other was a pentavalent preparation that also included venoms of Vipera (now Montivipera) xanthina and Macrovipera lebetina obtusa. We measured specific neutralization of lethality against all venoms included in the immunization schemes, and paraspecific neutralization against the venoms of Vipera ammodytes montandoni, Vipera (Montivipera) bornmuelleri, Vipera latastei, Vipera (Mo.