Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
Toxicon. 2012 Jan;59(1):158-62. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2011.11.005. Epub 2011 Nov 18.
Bothrops asper is the species that induces the highest incidence of snakebite envenomation in southern Mexico, Central America and parts of northern South America. The intraspecies variability in HPLC profile and toxicological activities between the venoms from specimens collected in Mexico (Veracruz) and Costa Rica (Caribbean and Pacific populations) was investigated, as well as the cross-neutralization by antivenoms manufactured in these countries. Venoms differ in their HPLC profiles and in their toxicity, since venom from Mexican population showed higher lethal and defibrinogenating activities, whereas those from Costa Rica showed higher hemorrhagic and in vitro coagulant activities. In general, antivenoms were more effective in the neutralization of homologous venoms. Overall, both antivenoms effectively neutralized the various toxic effects of venoms from the two populations of B. asper. However, antivenom raised against venom from Costa Rican specimens showed a higher efficacy in the neutralization of defibrinogenating and coagulant activities, thus highlighting immunochemical differences in the toxins responsible for these effects associated with hemostatic disturbances in snakebite envenoming. These observations illustrate how intraspecies venom variation may influence antivenom neutralizing profile.
矛头蝮是一种在墨西哥南部、中美洲和南美洲北部部分地区引发蛇伤中毒发生率最高的物种。本研究调查了来自墨西哥（韦拉克鲁斯）和哥斯达黎加（加勒比和太平洋种群）标本的毒液在 HPLC 图谱和毒理学活性方面的种内变异性，以及这些国家生产的抗蛇毒血清的交叉中和作用。毒液在 HPLC 图谱和毒性方面存在差异，因为来自墨西哥种群的毒液显示出更高的致死和纤维蛋白溶解活性，而来自哥斯达黎加的毒液则显示出更高的出血和体外凝血活性。一般来说，抗蛇毒血清在中和同源毒液方面更有效。总的来说，两种抗蛇毒血清都能有效中和来自这两个矛头蝮种群的毒液的各种毒性作用。然而，针对来自哥斯达黎加标本的毒液产生的抗蛇毒血清在中和纤维蛋白溶解和凝血活性方面显示出更高的功效，这突出了与蛇伤中毒引起的止血紊乱相关的这些效应的毒素在免疫化学上的差异。这些观察结果说明了种内毒液变异如何影响抗蛇毒血清的中和谱。
