A PROCEDURE FOR INDUCING HIGHER TITLES OF PROTECTIVE ANTIBODIES IN CURATIVE SERA

A new methodology for inducing antisera in horses, obeying the exponen tial natural law of biological response to external stimulus is propos ed. After an initial antigen stimulation an exponential dose ten times higher was applied. Venoids must be used, and detoxification was obta ined by stepwise iodination of the virulent venoms. The crotalic venoi d was prepared with Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, and the bothro pic venoid from a mixture of five Bothrops venoms. A total of four gro ups of 4 horses each were utilized. Group C-P received the crotalic an d group B-P the bothropic venoid. Three doses of 2.5 / 5.0 / 50 mg, wi th 7 days interval were applied. Blood harvest was done at tenth and t welfth day after the last inoculation, in the amount of 10 liters each . This schedule was repeated after forty days rest interval. In the tr aditional method used for comparison, group C-T received 2.5 / 5.0 / 7 .5 mg of the native crotalic venom, and group B-T the mixture of nativ e bothropic venoms, with same schedule. The capacity for neutralizatio n of the native C. durissus terrificus or B. jararaca venom per mi of generated antiserum was used to measure antibody production. Results i ndicated a significant (p<0.01) higher level of protective antibodies response in the proposed method. A lower dose of 1.25 / 2.5 / 25 mg of venoids was also effective. Refractory horses responded well with a l eap of 5.0 / 7.5 / 75 mg of venoids. No tissue lesions were observed i n the animals of the proposed method, as opposed to the usual findings with the traditional methods using native venoms.