Skeletal neuromuscular and smooth muscle effects of whole venom of the green mamba, Dendroaspis angusticeps - I.

Dendroaspis angusticeps venom (75 micrograms/ml) caused an irreversible blockade of the directly as well as directly evoked contractions of the rat hemidiaphragm and indirectly evoked contractions of the chick biventer cervicis muscle. The venom itself also produced a contraction of the frog rectus abdominis muscle, rat fundal strip, rat uterus and nictitating membrane of the cat; however, it did alter responses of nictitating membrane to preganglionic electrical stimulation and to ganglion stimulant drugs. The effect was attributed to the presence of acetylcholine-like substance in the venom.