INHIBITION OF THE HEMORRHAGIC ACTIVITY OF BOTHROPS-ASPER VENOM BY A NOVEL NEUTRALIZING MIXTURE

This study screened 25 sera, 19 synthetic products and five antivenoms obtained after immunization for their ability to neutralize the hemor rhagic activity of venom from the snake Bothrops asper. Among the sera screened, the homologous serum of B. asper itself was found to posses s the highest neutralizing capacity, abolishing the hemorrhagic effect of the venom at weight ratio of 3:1. It was more efficient than the a ntisera obtained by immunization. Among the synthetic compounds tested , only O-phenanthroline and EDTA salts inhibited the hemorrhagic activ ity at concentrations of 0.5-10 mM; however, only CaNa(2)EDTA was non- toxic at the concentrations studied. Intravenous injections and in sit u administration of the non-toxic inhibitors revealed that a fraction of B. asper serum, the horse polyvalent antivenom and CaNa,EDTA were t he most potent antihemorrhagic materials against B. asper venom, espec ially when administered in situ as a mixture. This work suggests that this neutralizing mixture could be highly useful in the neutralization of local and systemic hemorrhage developing after B. asper envenomati on. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.