Correlation between in vitro assays and in vivo assays: search for approaches in the study of snake venoms that dispense with the use of animals following the 3R's principle

• Grant number: 21/04287-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2022
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
• Grantee: Lidia Jorge Tasima
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/00382-5 - Correlation between in vitro assays and in vivo assays: search for approaches in the study of snake venoms that dispense with the use of animals following the 3R's principle, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Snake envenoming is classified as a neglected disease in many tropical and subtropical countries by the World Health Organization. Regarding snake venom, there are several associated pathological effects, such as the main functions of which are to immobilize, paralyze and kill prey, in order to be able to ingest it safely. Most snake venoms induce damage to local bite tissue, with the presence of myonecrosis, alteration of blood vessel integrity, blistering, skin necrosis and also inflammation. In addition to the local effects, envenoming by snakes also causes other effects in its victims, such as: paralysis, which can involve blockage of respiratory muscles, systemic hemorrhage, acute kidney injury and also affect hemostasis in several ways. The presence or absence of these symptoms in envenoming is a result of the variation in the protein composition of the venom of the different snakes. All of this variation in snake venom has a direct impact on the effectiveness of snakebite treatment, resulting in the need to manufacture different antivenoms against venoms of different species. Thus, the study of these variations and the quality control of these venoms has been the subject of intense investigation. To this end, various biological activities of venoms are studied using both in vivo and in vitro methods. However, it is recognized that current in vivo trials are generally time-consuming, expensive and have little or no correlation with human envenoming, in addition to the need for a large number of animals. There is an effort by the scientific community to follow the concept of the 3 R's (Reduce, Refine and Replace) in relation to animal testing, seeking the development of alternative methods for studies and quality control of venoms and antivenoms. Several alternative in vitro methods have previously been validated and approved to test the effects of different drugs, cosmetics and chemicals in general and, in the study of snake venom, several authors have already tested alternatives and have found correlations between some in vivo assays with in vitro. With this, the objective of this work is to verify the best approach to evaluate the different effects caused by the venoms of different species of snakes found in Brazil, looking for possible ways to replace the tests that use animals.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TASIMA, LIDIA JORGE; LIMA, EDUARDO OLIVEIRA VENANCIO DE; HATAKEYAMA, DANIELA MIKI; VIDUEIROS, JARBAS PRADO; STUGINSKI, DANIEL RODRIGUES; GREGO, KATHLEEN FERNANDES; TANAKA-AZEVEDO, ANITA MITICO. Seasonality in Crotalus durissus venom. Toxicon, v. 244, p. 8-pg., 2024-05-10. (21/04287-9, 18/25899-0, 21/11707-4)

TASIMA, LIDIA JORGE; KAVAZOI, VICTOR KOITI; DE LIMA, EDUARDO OLIVEIRA VENANCIO; GREGO, KATHLEEN FERNANDES; TANAKA-AZEVEDO, ANITA MITICO. An alternative method for comparing hemorrhagic activity of snake venoms following one of the 3R's principles. Toxicon, v. 250, p. 4-pg., 2024-09-28. (21/04287-9, 22/15660-5, 21/11707-4)

DE LIMA, EDUARDO OLIVEIRA VENANCIO; TASIMA, LIDIA JORGE; GREGO, KATHLEEN FERNANDES; TANAKA-AZEVEDO, ANITA MITICO. Fibrinogenolytic potential of venoms of medically important Brazilian snakes. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY, v. 287, p. 5-pg., 2024-09-05. (22/15660-5, 21/11707-4, 21/04287-9, 22/13137-3, 23/14327-3)