[Blood coagulating properties of the copperhead Agkisrodon halys halys venom and its thrombin-like fractions].

Venom and its fraction with hemocoagulation properties from Agkistrodon halys halys exhibited dissimilar effects on blood plasma and fibrinogen preparation. The major component of this fraction proved to be a thrombin-like enzyme, properties of which were studied by means of several coagulation tests. Dissimilarity in coagulating effects of the venom and its thrombin-like fraction as well as different physical properties of blood clots formed after their action suggest that the venom from Agkistrodon halys halys contained other protein factors affecting blood coagulation besides the thrombin-like proteases.

[Isolation and characteristics of a nerve growth factor from the venom of the Central Asiatic viper Echis multisquamatus].

The nerve growth factor (NGF) was isolated from the Echis multisquamatus venom by ultrafiltration on PM-10 filter, chromatography on TSK-55 gel, ion-exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. The protein exhibited a marked nerve growth activity within the concentration range of 10-15 ng/ml in cultures of chicken embryo spinal ganglia. The molecular mass of NGF is equal to 33,000-37,000 Da according to Sephadex G-75 gel filtration data; however, according to SDS electrophoresis data its Mr is 13,000 Da.

[The use of Soviet substitutes for batroxobin in the determination of fibrinogen].

Plasma fibrinogen was measured by kinetic photometry with two Soviet analogs of the foreign agent batroxobin: ancistron-N and agichal, obtained from Central Asian Aspidelaps lubricus venom by different techniques. Both the preparations of thrombin-like enzyme from the venom have proved to be adequate substituents of batroxobin; the optimal concentration of ancistron-N for this test was found to be 20 micrograms/ml or 0.04 U/ml, that of agichal 0.

[Classification and identification of toxic polypeptides using a pattern recognition method].

A crucial rule for both rapid identification and classification of toxins by the relative content of the five most informative amino acids (glycine, cysteine, threonine, alanine and tryptophane) was established by using a computer algorithm of pattern recognition based on amino acid sequences of three families of toxic polypeptides.

[Therapeutic effect of purified components of a turtle spleen extract].

The administration of a spleen extract of Testudo horsfieldi to mice exposed to lethal radiation of 8 Gy was shown to increase the survival rate and to stimulate haemopoiesis and formation of endocolonies in the spleen. The gel filtration method was used to obtain an active fraction which was subjected to chromatography on cation exchanger to give two more fractions. Active was the fraction with basic components.