In vivo protection against Tityus serrulatus scorpion toxins by immunization of mice with a non-toxic protein.

The possibility of inducing a humoral immune response able to produce neutralizing antibodies against the lethal effects of scorpion toxins was evaluated in the mouse model. A non-toxic protein (TsNTxP) was purified from the venom of the Brazilian scorpion Tityus serrulatus by combining gel filtration, ion exchange and reverse phase HPLC chromatographic steps. After four injections of TsNTxP the mice developed an IgG response. The anti-TsNTxP antibodies had a comparable high cross-reactivity for the crude venom, toxic fraction (toxic fraction of venom that represents most of the toxicity of the crude venom -- TsTFG50) and TsIV, a representative alpha-type toxin of T. serrulatus, and moderate binding capacity for TsVII, a representative beta-type toxin. In vitro neutralization assays indicated that preincubation of a lethal dose of the toxic fraction with immune serum strongly reduced its toxicity. In vivo protection assays showed that mice immunized with TsNTxP resisted a challenge of 10 LD50 (s.c.) of the toxic fraction of T. serrulatus venom.