Ontogenetic study of the venom of Bothrops alternatus snakes and analysis of phospholipase A2 inhibitors as a complementary therapy to serum therapy in bothropic accidents

• Grant number: 22/15660-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Compared Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
• Grantee: Eduardo Oliveira Venancio de Lima
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/03837-6 - Ontogenetic study of Bothrops alternatus snake venom, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Snakebites are considered neglected tropical diseases by the World Health Organization. The study of snake venoms is an important area of biomedical research, mainly due to its neurotoxic, hemorrhagic and proteolytic actions. The genus Bothrops is the main responsible for envenoming in Brazil and the venom of species of this genus is mainly characterized by presenting the following activities: proteolytic, coagulant and hemorrhagic. Snake venoms are subject to intraspecific variations related to several factors, including ontogeny and sex. Thus, intense studies have been carried out in an attempt to elucidate these aspects in venoms of several snake species, but studies are lacking in relation to some species such as B. alternatus, which are snakes, in general, of large size and that have specialized food in small mammals. From a clinical point of view, it is important to consider variations in the composition of venoms that will result in differences in their action and, consequently, in the effectiveness of the antivenom. With regard to snakes of the genus Bothrops, the treatment of envenoming is done with the parenteral administration of Antibothropic Serum which, in general, is effective against systemic effects, but does not efficiently neutralize local damage. Thus, the interest of the scientific community in seeking new inhibitors as a complement to serum therapy is growing. Our group has already characterized two phospholipase A2 inhibitors from the sera of two snakes, Boa constrictor and B. jararaca. Thus, the present study aims to elucidate the roles of ontogeny and sex of B. alternatus snakes in the composition and activities of the venom of these animals, using proteomic approaches, and the inhibitory potential of two phospholipase inhibitors from the serum of two species of snakes. (AU)

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)

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)

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 GODOY, THAIS ALMEIDA; DE LIMA, EDUARDO OLIVEIRA VENANCIO; SILVEIRA, GIOVANNI PEREZ MACHADO; RODRIGUES, FABIOLA SOUZA; SANT'ANNA, SAVIO STEFANI; HATAKEYAMA, DANIELA MIKI; GREGO, KATHLEEN FERNANDES; TANAKA-AZEVEDO, ANITA MITICO. Analysis of the genus Bothrops snake venom: An inter and intraspecific comparative study. HELIYON, v. 10, n. 17, p. 12-pg., 2024-09-15. (22/15660-5, 21/11707-4, 23/14327-3)