Biochemical and toxicological profiles of venoms from an adult female South American bushmaster ( Lachesis muta rhombeata ) and her offspring

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Galizio, Nathalia C. ; Moraes-Santos, Laura S. ; Yabunaka, Ana C. ; Demico, Poliana J. ; Torres-Bonilla, KristianA. ; Varon, Julian C. G. ; da Silva Jr, Nelson J. ; Tanaka-Azevedo, Anita M. ; da Rocha, Marisa M. Teixeira ; Hyslop, Stephen ; Floriano, Rafael S. ; de Morais-Zani, Karen

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Toxicon; v. 241, p. 13-pg., 2024-03-16.

Abstract

In this work, we compared the biochemical and toxicological profiles of venoms from an adult female specimen of Lachesis muta rhombeata (South American bushmaster) and her seven offspring born in captivity, based on SDS-PAGE, RP-HPLC, enzymatic, coagulant, and hemorrhagic assays. Although adult and juvenile venoms showed comparable SDS-PAGE profiles, juveniles lacked some chromatographic peaks compared with adult venom. Adult venom had higher proteolytic (caseinolytic) activity than juvenile venoms (p < 0.05), but there were no significant inter-venom variations in the esterase, PLA(2), phosphodiesterase and L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) activities, although the latter activity was highly variable among the venoms. Juveniles displayed higher coagulant activity on human plasma, with a minimum coagulant dose similar to 42% lower than the adult venom (p < 0.05), but there were no age-related differences in thrombin-like activity. Adult venom was more fibrinogenolytic (based on the rate of fibrinogen chain degradation) and hemorrhagic than juvenile venoms (p < 0.05). The effective dose of Bothrops/Lachesis antivenom (produced by the Instituto Butantan) needed to neutralize the coagulant activity was similar to 57% greater for juvenile venoms (p < 0.05), whereas antivenom did not attenuate the thrombin-like activity of juvenile and adult venoms. Antivenom significantly reduced the hemorrhagic activity of adult venom (400 mu g/kg, i. d.), but not that of juvenile venoms. Overall, these data indicate a compositional and functional ontogenetic shift in L. m. rhombeata venom. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 21/07627-5 - Investigation of coagulotoxicity of snake venom species from Viperidae family of medical importance in Brazil.
• Grantee: Nathália da Costa Galizio
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 21/11707-4 - Evaluation of alternative in vitro methods to the use of animals for in vivo tests in the study of snake venoms: principle of the 3R's
• Grantee: Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 22/05878-3 - Assessment of the enzymatic, neuromuscular and hemostatic action of Crotalus durissus ruruima (Viperidae: Crotalinae) venom and neutralization by commercial antivenom
• Grantee: Poliana de Jesus Demico
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 20/07268-2 - Characterization of the coagulotoxic profile of venoms of Viperidae snakes with medical importance in Brazil
• Grantee: Karen de Morais Zani
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 20/04287-6 - Structural and pharmacological characterization of toxins isolated from Bothrops bilineatus smaragdinus (forest viper) venom with potential modulatory activity of the motor synaptic release and cardiovascular functions
• Grantee: Rafael Stuani Floriano
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants