Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, 05503-000, Brazil; Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas-Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas-Instituto Butantan, Universidade de São Paulo, 05503-000, Brazil.
Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, 05503-000, Brazil.
J Proteomics. 2018 Mar 1;174:36-46. doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2017.12.008. Epub 2017 Dec 22.
Snake venom is a variable phenotypic trait, whose plasticity and evolution are critical for effective antivenom production. A significant reduction of the number of snake donations to Butantan Institute (São Paulo, Brazil) occurred in recent years, and this fact may impair the production of the Brazilian Bothropic Reference Venom (BBRV). Nevertheless, in the last decades a high number of Bothrops jararaca specimens have been raised in captivity in the Laboratory of Herpetology of Butantan Institute. Considering these facts, we compared the biochemical and biological profiles of B. jararaca venom from captive specimens and BBRV in order to understand the potential effects of snake captivity upon the venom composition. Electrophoretic analysis and proteomic profiling revealed few differences in venom protein bands and some differentially abundant toxins. Comparison of enzymatic activities showed minor differences between the two venoms. Similar cross-reactivity recognition pattern of both venoms by the antibothropic antivenom produced by Butantan Institute was observed. Lethality and neutralization of lethality for B. jararaca venom from captive specimens and BBRV showed similar values. Considering these results we suggest that the inclusion of B. jararaca venom from captive specimens in the composition of BBRV would not interfere with the quality of this reference venom.
Snakebite envenomation is a neglected tropical pathology whose treatment is based on the use of specific antivenoms. Bothrops jararaca is responsible for the majority of snakebites in South and Southeastern Brazil. Its venom shows individual, sexual, and ontogenetic variability, however, the effect of animal captivity upon venom composition is unknown. Considering the reduced number of wild-caught snakes donated to Butantan Institute in the last decades, and the increased life expectancy of the snakes raised in captivity in the Laboratory of Herpetology, this work focused on the comparative profiling of B. jararaca venom from captive snakes and the Brazilian Bothropic Reference Venom (BBRV). BBRV is composed of venom obtained upon the first milking of wild-caught B. jararaca specimens, and used to assess the potency of all bothropic antivenoms produced by Brazilian suppliers. The use of proteomic strategies, added to biochemical and neutralization tests, allowed to conclude that, despite some subtle differences detected between these two venoms, venom from captive specimens could be used in the BBRV composition without affecting its quality in antivenom potency assays.
蛇毒是一种表型多变的特性，其可塑性和进化对有效抗蛇毒血清的生产至关重要。近年来，巴西布坦坦研究所（圣保罗，巴西）收到的蛇捐赠数量显著减少，这一事实可能会影响巴西矛头蝮蛇参考毒液（BBRV）的生产。然而，在过去几十年中，大量的矛头蝮蛇在布坦坦研究所的爬虫学实验室中被圈养。考虑到这些事实，我们比较了圈养的矛头蝮蛇毒液和 BBRV 的生化和生物学特征，以了解蛇类圈养对毒液成分的潜在影响。电泳分析和蛋白质组学分析显示，毒液蛋白带和一些差异丰度毒素存在一些差异。酶活性比较显示两种毒液之间存在微小差异。由布坦坦研究所生产的抗矛头蝮蛇抗蛇毒血清对两种毒液的交叉反应识别模式相似。观察到圈养的矛头蝮蛇毒液和 BBRV 的致死性和致死性中和率具有相似的值。考虑到这些结果，我们建议在 BBRV 的组成中加入圈养的矛头蝮蛇毒液不会影响这种参考毒液的质量。
蛇咬伤中毒是一种被忽视的热带病理学，其治疗基于使用特定的抗蛇毒血清。矛头蝮是造成巴西南部和东南部大多数蛇咬伤的原因。它的毒液具有个体、性别和个体发育变异性，但动物圈养对毒液成分的影响尚不清楚。考虑到过去几十年中布坦坦研究所收到的野生捕获蛇捐赠数量减少，以及在爬虫学实验室中圈养蛇的预期寿命延长，这项工作集中于比较圈养的矛头蝮蛇毒液和巴西矛头蝮蛇参考毒液（BBRV）的分析。BBRV 由首次从野生捕获的矛头蝮蛇标本中挤出的毒液组成，用于评估所有巴西供应商生产的抗矛头蝮蛇抗蛇毒血清的效力。使用蛋白质组学策略，加上生化和中和试验，得出结论，尽管在这两种毒液之间检测到一些细微差异，但来自圈养标本的毒液可以用于 BBRV 的组成，而不会影响其在抗蛇毒血清效力试验中的质量。
