Biological Research Unit, Racing Analytical Services Ltd, 400 Epsom Road, Flemington, Victoria, Australia, 3031.
Drug Test Anal. 2020 Jul;12(7):918-928. doi: 10.1002/dta.2797. Epub 2020 Apr 13.
Venoms were first identified as potential doping agents by the racing industry in 2007 when three vials of cobra venom were seized during an inspection of a stable at Keeneland Racecourse in the USA. Venoms are a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, and other substances with a wide range of biological effects, including inhibiting the transmission of nervous and muscular impulses. As an example of this, cobratoxin, an α-neurotoxin found in cobra venom, is claimed to be an effective treatment for pain. Recent analysis of seized samples identified venom from two different species of snake. Proteomic analysis identified the first sample as cobra venom, while the second sample, in a vial labeled "Conotoxin", was identified as venom from a many banded krait. Cobratoxin, conotoxins, and bungarotoxins (a component of krait venom) are all α-neurotoxins, suggesting a common application for all three venom proteins as potential pain blocking medications. Using a peptide based on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a one-step affinity purification method was developed for the detection of α-neurotoxins in plasma.
毒液最初是在 2007 年被赛马行业发现具有潜在兴奋剂作用的，当时在美国基恩兰赛马场的一次检查中查获了三小瓶眼镜蛇毒液。毒液是一种复杂的蛋白质、肽和其他物质的混合物，具有广泛的生物学效应，包括抑制神经和肌肉冲动的传递。例如，在眼镜蛇毒液中发现的α-神经毒素 cobratoxin，据称是治疗疼痛的有效药物。最近对查获样本的分析确定了来自两种不同蛇类的毒液。蛋白质组学分析鉴定第一个样本为眼镜蛇毒液，而第二个样本，在标有“Conotoxin”的小瓶中，被鉴定为来自多条带的金环蛇毒液。眼镜蛇毒素、 conotoxins 和 bungarotoxins（金环蛇毒液的一种成分）都是α-神经毒素，这表明这三种毒液蛋白都可能作为潜在的止痛药物具有共同的应用。利用基于烟碱型乙酰胆碱受体的肽，开发了一种一步亲和纯化方法，用于检测血浆中的α-神经毒素。
