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Darkaoui B, Hilal I, Khourcha S, Lafnoune A, Chakir S, Aarab A, Moustaghfir A, Filali OA, Oukkache N. Development and Efficacy of the Antivenom Specific to Severe Envenomations in Morocco and North Africa: Advancements in Scorpion Envenomation Management. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:214. [PMID: 38787066 PMCID: PMC11125721 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16050214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Scorpion envenomation poses a global public health issue, with an estimated 1,500,000 cases worldwide annually resulting in 2600 deaths. North Africa, particularly Morocco, experiences severe envenomations, mainly attributed to Androctonus mauretanicus and Buthus occitanus in Morocco, and Buthus occitanus and Androctonus australis hector in Algeria and Tunisia, with case numbers often underestimated. Current treatment relies mainly on symptomatic approaches, except in Morocco, where management is limited to symptomatic treatment due to controversies regarding specific treatment. In Morocco, between 30,000 and 50,000 scorpion envenomation cases are reported annually, leading to hundreds of deaths, mainly among children. Controversies among clinicians persist regarding the appropriate course of action, often limiting treatments to symptomatic measures. The absence of a specific antivenom for the venoms of the most lethal scorpions further exacerbates the situation. This study aims to address this gap by developing a monovalent antivenom against the endemic and most dangerous scorpion, Androctonus mauretanicus. The antivenom was produced by immunizing albino rabbits with a mixture of Androctonus mauretanicus venom collected from high-risk areas in Morocco. Immunizations were performed by subcutaneous injections at multiple sites near the lymphatic system, following an immunization schedule. Production control of neutralizing antibody titers was conducted through immunodiffusion. Once a sufficient antibody titer was achieved, blood collection was performed, and the recovered plasma underwent affinity chromatography. The efficacy of purified IgG was evaluated by determining the ED50 in mice, complemented by histological and immunohistochemical studies on its ability to neutralize venom-induced tissue alterations and the neutralization of toxins bound to receptors in the studied organs. The monovalent antivenom demonstrated specificity against Androctonus mauretanicus venom and effective cross-protection against the venom of the scorpions Buthus occitanus and Androctonus australis hector, highly implicated in lethal envenomations in the Maghreb. This study shows that the developed monovalent antivenom exhibits notable efficacy against local scorpions and a surprising ability to neutralize the most lethal envenomations in North Africa. These results pave the way for a new, more specific, and promising therapeutic approach to countering severe scorpion envenomations, especially in Morocco, where specific treatment is lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bouchra Darkaoui
- Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca 20250, Morocco; (B.D.); (I.H.); (S.K.); (A.L.); (S.C.)
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Physiopathology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20000, Morocco;
| | - Ines Hilal
- Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca 20250, Morocco; (B.D.); (I.H.); (S.K.); (A.L.); (S.C.)
| | - Soukaina Khourcha
- Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca 20250, Morocco; (B.D.); (I.H.); (S.K.); (A.L.); (S.C.)
| | - Ayoub Lafnoune
- Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca 20250, Morocco; (B.D.); (I.H.); (S.K.); (A.L.); (S.C.)
| | - Salma Chakir
- Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca 20250, Morocco; (B.D.); (I.H.); (S.K.); (A.L.); (S.C.)
| | - Ayoub Aarab
- Laboratory of Anatomical Pathology Marrakech, Agadir 80000, Morocco;
| | - Abdellah Moustaghfir
- Laboratory of Research Odontological, Biomaterials and Nanotechnology, Department of Fundamental Sciences, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Mohammed V University in Rabat, B.P 6212 Madinat Al Irfane, Rabat 10000, Morocco;
| | - Ouafaa Aniq Filali
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Physiopathology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, B.P 5366 Maarif, Casablanca 20000, Morocco;
| | - Naoual Oukkache
- Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, 1 Place Louis Pasteur, Casablanca 20250, Morocco; (B.D.); (I.H.); (S.K.); (A.L.); (S.C.)
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Marriott AE, Casewell NR, Lilley E, Gutiérrez JM, Ainsworth S. Improving in vivo assays in snake venom and antivenom research: A community discussion. F1000Res 2024; 13:192. [PMID: 38708289 PMCID: PMC11066530 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.148223.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
On the 26 th January 2023, a free to attend, 'improving in vivo snake venom research: a community discussion' meeting was held virtually. This webinar brought together researchers from around the world to discuss current neutralisation of venom lethality mouse assays that are used globally to assess the efficacy of therapies for snakebite envenoming. The assay's strengths and weaknesses were highlighted, and we discussed what improvements could be made to refine and reduce animal testing, whilst supporting preclinical antivenom and drug discovery for snakebite envenoming. This report summarises the issues highlighted, the discussions held, with additional commentary on key perspectives provided by the authors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Marriott
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, L3 5RF, UK
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Elliot Lilley
- National Centre for the Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of Animals in Research, London, NW1 2BE, UK
| | - José-María Gutiérrez
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, 11501-2060, Costa Rica
| | - Stuart Ainsworth
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, L3 5RF, UK
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
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Lopez GL, Van de Velde A, Hernández D, Bustillo S, Leiva L, Fusco LS. Potential low-impact immunogen for the production of anti-bothropic serum: Bothrops alternatus venom treated with Na 2EDTA. Toxicon 2024; 237:107351. [PMID: 37984681 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
This study proposes an alternative method using Na2EDTA to neutralize B. alternatus venom and using it as an immunogen from the start of inoculation to minimize side effects and enhance antivenom production. To achieve this, 1.8 mg/mL of B. alternatus venom (B.aV) was treated with Na2EDTA, and any extra chelate was eliminated by filtering the resulting solution through a Sephadex G-25 column. Two groups of BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously on days 1, 15 and 30 with B.aV/Na2EDTA (45, 90, 135 μg/mouse) or B.aV (15, 30, 45 μg/mouse), respectively. Both formulations were emulsified with Freund's adjuvant (complete first and incomplete-booster). Blood samples were collected from each mouse on days 14, 29, 41, and 50 post-first immunization, and serum was separated for antibody detection. Animals were then sacrificed and lungs removed for histological analysis (hematoxylin-eosin). Immunoblotting analysis revealed that the sera from mice inoculated with B.aV/Na2EDTA (anti-B.aV/Na2EDTA) recognized the major venom proteins (20-66 kDa) similarly to the sera from mice inoculated with B.aV (anti-B.aV). The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results indicated that the anti-B.aV/Na2EDTA had a higher titer (5.76 × 104) than those the anti-B.aV (1.92 × 104). Additionally, sera from animals immunized with B.aV/Na2EDTA significantly neutralized proteolytic, indirect hemolytic and coagulant activity (p < 0.05). Finally, histological examination of the lungs of mice inoculated with B.aV/Na2EDTA showed normal appearance, while animals inoculated with B.aV showed interstitial lung injury (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the B.aV/Na2EDTA formulation, free of excess Na2EDTA, proved to be a promising candidate as an immunogen for antivenom production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Lumila Lopez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas (LabInPro), IQUIBA-NEA (CONICET; UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Andrea Van de Velde
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas (LabInPro), IQUIBA-NEA (CONICET; UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina
| | - David Hernández
- Cátedra de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE), Sargento Cabral N° 2139, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Soledad Bustillo
- Grupo de Investigaciones Biológicas y Moleculares (GIBYM), IQUIBA-NEA (CONICET; UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura (FaCENA-UNNE), Av. Liberta, 5470, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Laura Leiva
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas (LabInPro), IQUIBA-NEA (CONICET; UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura (FaCENA-UNNE), Av. Liberta, 5470, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Luciano Sebastian Fusco
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas (LabInPro), IQUIBA-NEA (CONICET; UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura (FaCENA-UNNE), Av. Liberta, 5470, Corrientes, Argentina.
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Huertas RM, Arguedas M, Estrada JM, Moscoso E, Umaña D, Solano G, Vargas M, Segura Á, Sánchez A, Herrera M, Villalta M, Arroyo-Portilla C, Gutiérrez JM, León G. Clinical effects of immunization, bleeding, and albumin-based fluid therapy in horses used as immunoglobulin source to produce a polyspecific antivenom (Echitab-plus-ICP) towards venoms of African snakes. Toxicon X 2023; 18:100158. [PMID: 37180815 PMCID: PMC10172988 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2023.100158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
During the production of snake antivenoms, the animals used as immunoglobulin source are subjected to processes that could deteriorate their physical condition. Therefore, these conditions must be carefully designed and validated. In this work, the immunization and bleeding protocols applied to horses used to produce the African polyspecific antivenom EchiTAb-plus-ICP were evaluated regarding their effects on the horses' health. The study focused on horses that had been previously immunized with venoms and then received periodic booster venom injections for antivenom production. It was found that the periodic immunization with 5 mg of a mixture of venoms of Bitis arietans, Echis ocellatus, Dendroaspis polylepis, and Naja nigricollis did not induce systemic signs of envenomation, and only caused mild swelling at the injection site, which did not evolve to abscesses, fistulas, or fibrosis. Three consecutive days of bleeding, collecting 6-8 L of blood per day, and self-transfusing the red blood cells (RBC) in the second and third days, did not induce evident cardiorespiratory alterations. However, this procedure caused significant reductions in RBC, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and total plasma protein values. Seven weeks after bleeding, these parameters were recovered, and horses were ready for the next immunization/bleeding cycle. The intravenous administration of equine albumin, at a dose of 2 g/kg body weight, increased the apparent plasma volume and the albumin concentration. However, this procedure induced early adverse reactions and transient alterations of the serum levels of the enzyme gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), thus suggesting some degree of hepatic injury. It was concluded that immunization and bleeding as described in this work do not cause significant clinical alterations in the horse's health, except for a transient drop in some hematological parameters. The albumin-based fluid therapy used does not hasten the recovery after bleeding but instead induces adverse events in the animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Mary Huertas
- Laboratorio de Análisis Clínicos, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Mauricio Arguedas
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Juan Manuel Estrada
- Hospital de Equinos, Especies Mayores y Terapias Regenerativas, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Edwin Moscoso
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Deibid Umaña
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Gabriela Solano
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Mariángela Vargas
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Álvaro Segura
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Andrés Sánchez
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - María Herrera
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Mauren Villalta
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Cynthia Arroyo-Portilla
- Departamento de Análisis Clínicos, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - José María Gutiérrez
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Guillermo León
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Corresponding author.
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Alonso Villela SM, Kraïem-Ghezal H, Bouhaouala-Zahar B, Bideaux C, Aceves Lara CA, Fillaudeau L. Production of recombinant scorpion antivenoms in E. coli: current state and perspectives. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023:10.1007/s00253-023-12578-1. [PMID: 37199752 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12578-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Scorpion envenomation is a serious health problem in tropical and subtropical zones. The access to scorpion antivenom is sometimes limited in availability and specificity. The classical production process is cumbersome, from the hyper-immunization of the horses to the IgG digestion and purification of the F(ab)'2 antibody fragments. The production of recombinant antibody fragments in Escherichia coli is a popular trend due to the ability of this microbial host to produce correctly folded proteins. Small recombinant antibody fragments, such as single-chain variable fragments (scFv) and nanobodies (VHH), have been constructed to recognize and neutralize the neurotoxins responsible for the envenomation symptoms in humans. They are the focus of interest of the most recent studies and are proposed as potentially new generation of pharmaceuticals for their use in immunotherapy against scorpion stings of the Buthidae family. This literature review comprises the current status on the scorpion antivenom market and the analyses of cross-reactivity of commercial scorpion anti-serum against non-specific scorpion venoms. Recent studies on the production of new recombinant scFv and nanobodies will be presented, with a focus on the Androctonus and Centruroides scorpion species. Protein engineering-based technology could be the key to obtaining the next generation of therapeutics capable of neutralizing and cross-reacting against several types of scorpion venoms. KEY POINTS: • Commercial antivenoms consist of predominantly purified equine F(ab)'2fragments. • Nanobody-based antivenom can neutralize Androctonus venoms and have a low immunogenicity. • Affinity maturation and directed evolution are used to obtain potent scFv families against Centruroides scorpions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hazar Kraïem-Ghezal
- Laboratoire Des Venins Et Molécules Thérapeutiques, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP74, 1002, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Balkiss Bouhaouala-Zahar
- Laboratoire Des Venins Et Molécules Thérapeutiques, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 13 Place Pasteur BP74, 1002, Tunis, Tunisia.
- Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Carine Bideaux
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Luc Fillaudeau
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
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Use of adjuvant ISA VG 71 to produce neutralizing egg yolk antibodies against bothropic venom. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:1947-1957. [PMID: 36723703 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12409-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The use of egg yolk antibodies-IgY technology-represents an alternative to the production of mammalian immunoglobulins and has several advantages regarding animal welfare and lower costs of production. The use of adjuvants to achieve the hyperimmunization of laying hens plays a key role in the success of the production of high levels of the antibodies. In the present work, two different adjuvant systems (Freund's adjuvants and MontanideTM ISA 71 VG) were compared to produce IgY anti-Bothrops alternatus. For the first immunization, formalin-inactivated Salmonella was added to MontanideTM ISA 71 VG to emulate Freund's complete adjuvant which includes a mycobacteria antigen. After eight immunizations, IgY produced by using either adjuvant was able to neutralize the lethal activity of the venom in a mouse model, but differences were found regarding the recognition of components of the venom between the two adjuvants tested. Overall, MontanideTM adjuvant used in this work could be a good alternative choice to produce antibodies capable of neutralizing the lethality of complex antigens. This adjuvant is commercially available and used in the formulation of several poultry vaccines and could be used for the IgY technology instead of traditional immunomodulators such as Freund's adjuvants. Key points • IgY extracts recognized major components of the venom.• Avidity indexes of the IgY extracts increased after the successive immunizations.• IgY obtained by two adjuvant systems neutralized the lethal activity of the venom.
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Resiere D, Kallel H, Florentin J, Houcke S, Mehdaoui H, Gutiérrez JM, Neviere R. Bothrops (Fer-de-lance) snakebites in the French departments of the Americas (Martinique and Guyana): Clinical and experimental studies and treatment by immunotherapy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011083. [PMID: 36854042 PMCID: PMC9974124 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenomation is a relevant medical hazard in French Guiana and Martinique, two French territories in the Americas. All snakebite envenomations in Martinique are inflicted by the endemic viperid species Bothrops lanceolatus, whereas Bothrops atrox is responsible for the majority of snakebites in French Guiana, although other venomous snake species also occur in this South American territory. This review summarizes some of the key aspects of the natural history of these species, as well as of their venom composition, the main clinical manifestations of envenomations, and their treatment by antivenoms. B. atrox venom induces the typical set of clinical manifestations characteristic of Bothrops sp. venoms, i.e., local tissue damage and systemic alterations associated with coagulopathies, hemorrhage, hemodynamic alterations, and acute kidney injury. In the case of B. lanceolatus venom, in addition to some typical features of bothropic envenomation, a unique and severe thrombotic effect occurs in some patients. The pathogenesis of this effect remains unknown but may be related to the action of venom components and inflammatory mediators on endothelial cells in the vasculature. A monospecific antivenom has been successfully used in Martinique to treat envenomations by B. lanceolatus. In the case of French Guiana, a polyvalent antivenom has been used for some years, but it is necessary to assess the preclinical and clinical efficacy against viperid venoms in this country of other antivenoms manufactured in the Americas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dabor Resiere
- Cardiovascular Research Team EA7525, Université des Antilles, Fort de France, France
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Toxicology and Emergency, CHU Martinique (University Hospital of Martinique), Fort-de-France, France
| | - Hatem Kallel
- Intensive Care Unit, Cayenne General Hospital, Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Jonathan Florentin
- Cardiovascular Research Team EA7525, Université des Antilles, Fort de France, France
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Toxicology and Emergency, CHU Martinique (University Hospital of Martinique), Fort-de-France, France
| | - Stephanie Houcke
- Intensive Care Unit, Cayenne General Hospital, Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Hossein Mehdaoui
- Cardiovascular Research Team EA7525, Université des Antilles, Fort de France, France
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Toxicology and Emergency, CHU Martinique (University Hospital of Martinique), Fort-de-France, France
| | - José María Gutiérrez
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Remi Neviere
- Cardiovascular Research Team EA7525, Université des Antilles, Fort de France, France
- * E-mail:
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Li Q, Zeng L, Deng H, Liang Q. Adverse reactions to four types of monovalent antivenom used in the treatment of snakebite envenoming in South China. Toxicon 2022; 219:106935. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.106935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Riaz N, Zubair F, Amjad N, Ashraf S, Asghar S, Awan MZ, Javaid S. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potential of scorpion venom in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). BRAZ J BIOL 2022; 84:e259506. [PMID: 36197409 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.259506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Scorpion venom contains a variety of neurotoxins which interact with ion channels and affect their activities. The present study was designed to evaluate the potential of scorpion venom as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor by using Aedes aegypti as model organism. Venoms of two species, Hottentota tamulus (Fabricus, 1798) and Androctonus finitimus (Pocock, 1897) were selected for this study. Two peptides (36 kDa from H. tamulus and 54 kDa from A. finitimus) were separated from scorpion venom by using HPLC. Selected peptides caused significantly higher mortality in larvae and adults of Aedes aegypti than control (no mortalities were observed in control groups). Significant acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory potential of both peptides was recorded by spectrophotometer. The peptide of A. finitimus caused significantly higher mortality (95±1.53% in larvae and 100% in adults) than the peptide of H. tamulus (84.33±2.33% in larvae and 95.37±1.45% in adults). While H. tamulus peptide was more efficient in reducing AChE activity (0.029±0.012 in larvae and 0.03±0.003 in adults) than the peptide of A. finitimus (0.049±0.005 in larvae and 0.047±0.001 in adults). It was concluded that H. tamulus venom peptide was more efficiently reducing AChE activity, thus it could be a potential bio-insecticide which can be synthesized at industrial scale for the control of harmful insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Riaz
- University of Sargodha, Department of Zoology, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - F Zubair
- University of Sargodha, Department of Zoology, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - N Amjad
- University of Lahore, Department of Zoology, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - S Ashraf
- University of Lahore, Department of Zoology, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - S Asghar
- University of Lahore, Department of Zoology, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - M Z Awan
- University of Lahore, Department of Zoology, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - S Javaid
- University of Sargodha, Department of Zoology, Sargodha, Pakistan
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Rosenfeld R, Alcalay R, Zvi A, Ben-David A, Noy-Porat T, Chitlaru T, Epstein E, Israeli O, Lazar S, Caspi N, Barnea A, Dor E, Chomsky I, Pitel S, Makdasi E, Zichel R, Mazor O. Centaur antibodies: Engineered chimeric equine-human recombinant antibodies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:942317. [PMID: 36059507 PMCID: PMC9437483 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.942317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyper-immune antisera from large mammals, in particular horses, are routinely used for life-saving anti-intoxication intervention. While highly efficient, the use of these immunotherapeutics is complicated by possible recipient reactogenicity and limited availability. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for alternative improved next-generation immunotherapies to respond to this issue of high public health priority. Here, we document the development of previously unavailable tools for equine antibody engineering. A novel primer set, EquPD v2020, based on equine V-gene data, was designed for efficient and accurate amplification of rearranged horse antibody V-segments. The primer set served for generation of immune phage display libraries, representing highly diverse V-gene repertoires of horses immunized against botulinum A or B neurotoxins. Highly specific scFv clones were selected and expressed as full-length antibodies, carrying equine V-genes and human Gamma1/Lambda constant genes, to be referred as “Centaur antibodies”. Preliminary assessment in a murine model of botulism established their therapeutic potential. The experimental approach detailed in the current report, represents a valuable tool for isolation and engineering of therapeutic equine antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronit Rosenfeld
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
- *Correspondence: Ronit Rosenfeld, ; Ohad Mazor,
| | - Ron Alcalay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Anat Zvi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Alon Ben-David
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Tal Noy-Porat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Theodor Chitlaru
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Epstein
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofir Israeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Shirley Lazar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Noa Caspi
- Veterinary Center for Preclinical Research, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ada Barnea
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eyal Dor
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Inbar Chomsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Shani Pitel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ran Zichel
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ohad Mazor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
- *Correspondence: Ronit Rosenfeld, ; Ohad Mazor,
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Mateljak Lukačević S, Kurtović T, Borić J, Halassy B. Roughness of Production Conditions: Does It Really Affect Stability of IgG-Based Antivenoms? Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14070483. [PMID: 35878221 PMCID: PMC9325249 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14070483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Antivenoms contain either pure animal IgGs or their fragments as an active substance, and are the only specific therapeutics against envenomation arising from snakebites. Although they are highly needed, the low sustainability of such preparations’ manufacture causes constant global shortages. One reason for this is the stability of the product, which contributes not only to the manufacture sustainability, but the product safety as well. It has been hypothesized that the roughness of conditions to which IgGs are exposed during downstream purification disturbs their conformation, making them prone to aggregation, particularly after exposure to secondary stress. The aim of this research was to investigate how the roughness of the downstream purification conditions influences the stability properties of purified IgGs. For this purpose, equine IgGs were extracted from unique hyperimmune plasma by two mild condition-based operational procedures (anion-exchange chromatography and caprylic acid precipitation) and three rougher ones (ammonium sulphate precipitation, cation-exchange chromatography and protein A affinity chromatography). The stability of the refined preparations was studied under non-optimal storage conditions (37 °C, 42 °C, and a transiently lower pH) by monitoring changes in the aggregate content and thermal stability of the pure IgGs. Mild purification protocols generated IgG samples with a lower aggregate share in comparison to the rougher ones. Their tendency for further aggregation was significantly associated with the initial aggregate share. The thermal stability of IgG molecules and the aggregate content in refined samples were inversely correlated. Since the initial proportion of aggregates in the samples was influenced by the operating conditions, we have shown a strong indication that each of them also indirectly affected the stability of the final preparations. This suggests that mild condition-based refinement protocols indeed generate more stable IgGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanja Mateljak Lukačević
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Rockefellerova 10, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (T.K.); (J.B.)
- Center of Excellence for Virus Immunology and Vaccines, CERVirVac, Rockefellerova 10, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Correspondence: (S.M.L.); (B.H.)
| | - Tihana Kurtović
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Rockefellerova 10, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (T.K.); (J.B.)
- Center of Excellence for Virus Immunology and Vaccines, CERVirVac, Rockefellerova 10, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Juraj Borić
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Rockefellerova 10, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (T.K.); (J.B.)
- Center of Excellence for Virus Immunology and Vaccines, CERVirVac, Rockefellerova 10, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Beata Halassy
- Centre for Research and Knowledge Transfer in Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Rockefellerova 10, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (T.K.); (J.B.)
- Center of Excellence for Virus Immunology and Vaccines, CERVirVac, Rockefellerova 10, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Correspondence: (S.M.L.); (B.H.)
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Mohamed SH, Hady OA, Kashef MT, Zedan H. Antivenoms, hepatitis B vaccine and oral polio vaccine can be considered for storage and handling outside the cold chain following the innovative ‘controlled temperature chain’ approach. Biologicals 2022; 78:27-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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Negrin A, Battocletti MA, Juanena C, Morais V. Reports of Doses Administered and Adverse Reactions to Snake Antivenom Used in Uruguay in 2018. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2022; 3:690964. [PMID: 35295149 PMCID: PMC8915907 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2021.690964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In Uruguay, around 60 cases of snakebite accidents occur every year that need to be treated with specific antivenom. They are caused by two snakes of Bothrops genus: Bothrops alternatus and Bothrops pubescens. Snakebite accidents are mandatory notification events, allowing the acquisition of an accurate registry and a fluent communication with the health care services. The aim of this study is to analyze and report the doses administered to achieve the neutralization of the venom and the adverse reactions caused by snake antivenoms used in Uruguay in 2018, when a change was made in the type of antivenom available. In this year, Uruguay started to use the BIOL® antivenom (lyophilized) and this use coexists with traditional antivenom liquid forms (Vital Brazil and Malbran). The number of patients treated with heterologous BIOL® antivenom were 28 and the ones treated with heterologous solutions Malbran and Vital Brazil antivenoms were 21. The initial dose of BIOL antivenom was 8 vials instead of 4 vials regularly used with the others antivenoms and it achieved the neutralization of most cases (27/28 cases). Early adverse reactions were detected in 4 patients (3 in children) treated with BIOL antivenom and there were no adverse reactions in those treated with Malbran or Vital Brazil antivenoms. Lyophilized antivenom BIOL is being used widely in Uruguay without major complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Negrin
- Toxicology Department, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Carolina Juanena
- Toxicology Department, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Victor Morais
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Hygiene, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay
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14
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Kakkar B, Mallhi RS, Philip J. Type I ABO discrepancy due to missing antibody attributable to anti-snake venom in two patients: a rare presentation. Transfus Apher Sci 2022; 61:103437. [DOI: 10.1016/j.transci.2022.103437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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15
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Snakebite Associated Thrombotic Microangiopathy and Recommendations for Clinical Practice. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14010057. [PMID: 35051033 PMCID: PMC8778654 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14010057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite is a significant and under-resourced global public health issue. Snake venoms cause a variety of potentially fatal clinical toxin syndromes, including venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC) which is associated with major haemorrhage. A subset of patients with VICC develop a thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). This article reviews recent evidence regarding snakebite-associated TMA and its epidemiology, diagnosis, outcomes, and effectiveness of interventions including antivenom and therapeutic plasma-exchange. Snakebite-associated TMA presents with microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia (evidenced by schistocytes on the blood film), thrombocytopenia in almost all cases, and a spectrum of acute kidney injury (AKI). A proportion of patients require dialysis, most survive and achieve dialysis free survival. There is no evidence that antivenom prevents TMA specifically, but early antivenom remains the mainstay of treatment for snake envenoming. There is no evidence for therapeutic plasma-exchange being effective. We propose diagnostic criteria for snakebite-associated TMA as anaemia with >1.0% schistocytes on blood film examination, together with absolute thrombocytopenia (<150 × 109/L) or a relative decrease in platelet count of >25% from baseline. Patients are at risk of long-term chronic kidney disease and long term follow up is recommended.
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16
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Mender MM, Bolton F, Berry C, Young M. Antivenom: An immunotherapy for the treatment of snakebite envenoming in sub-Saharan Africa. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2021; 129:435-477. [PMID: 35305724 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming (SBE) leads to significant morbidity and mortality, resulting in over 90,000 deaths and approximately 400,000 amputations annually. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) alone, SBE accounts for over 30,000 deaths per annum. Since 2017, SBE has been classified as a priority Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The major species responsible for mortality from SBE within SSA are from the Bitis, Dendroaspis, Echis and Naja genera. Pharmacologically active toxins such as metalloproteinases, serine proteinases, 3-finger toxins, kunitz-type toxins, and phospholipase A2s are the primary snake venom components. These toxins induce cytotoxicity, coagulopathy, hemorrhage, and neurotoxicity in envenomed victims. Antivenom is currently the only available venom-specific treatment for SBE and contains purified equine or ovine polyclonal antibodies, collected from donor animals repeatedly immunized with low doses of adjuvanted venom. The resulting plasma or serum contains a high titre of specific antibodies, which can then be collected and stored until required. The purified antibodies are either whole IgG, monovalent fragment antibody (Fab) or divalent fragment antibody F(ab')2. Despite pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic differences, all three are effective in the treatment of SBE. No antivenom is without adverse reactions but, the level of their impact and severity varies from benign early adverse reactions to the rarely occurring fatal anaphylactic shock. However, the major side effects are largely reversible with immediate administration of adrenaline and corticosteroids. There are 16 different antivenoms marketed within SSA, but the efficacy and safety profiles are only published for less than 50% of these products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mender M Mender
- School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Department of Research and Development, MicroPharm Ltd, Newcastle Emlyn, United Kingdom.
| | - Fiona Bolton
- Department of Research and Development, MicroPharm Ltd, Newcastle Emlyn, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Berry
- School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Young
- School of Bioscience, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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Nogueira DCS, Calil IP, Santos RMMD, Andrade Filho AD, Cota G. A phase IV, prospective, observational study of the clinical safety of snake antivenoms. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2021; 63:e79. [PMID: 34878037 PMCID: PMC8660026 DOI: 10.1590/s1678-9946202163079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake envenoming is a neglected tropical disease that affects more than 2.7 million people worldwide. The treatment is based on the administration of antivenom composed of heterologous immunoglobulins, species-specific therapy involving the possibility of adverse reactions due to activation of the immune system. Considering the scarcity of prospective studies evaluating the safety of snake antivenoms, this study aimed to describe and characterize adverse events after antivenom infusion in an observational, prospective, single-centre investigation conducted in a referral centre in Brazil. A total of 47 victims of snake envenoming were included in the study, who were mostly men (75%), with ages ranging from 2 to 83 years. Twenty-two participants (47%) presented manifestations compatible with infusion-related reactions (IRRs) during or up to two hours after F(ab')2 heterologous immunoglobulin infusion. The most common clinical manifestation related to the infusion was a diffuse cutaneous rash (82%), followed by respiratory manifestations (46%) and facial swelling (23%). In four cases (9%), IRR were considered serious adverse events (SAE), characterized by haemodynamic instability, airway obstruction or hypoxia. Only one patient developed symptoms compatible with serum sickness. Although almost half of the patients treated with antivenom sera experienced IRRs, the SAE rate was 9%; in all cases, the adverse reaction was reversible by using supportive treatment, and there were no deaths. The results have shown that there is much to improve in the antivenom production process to obtain a more purified and specific product. Even so, a timely antivenom serum administration managed by well-trained health teams is safe and prevents complications after snake-related accidents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Iara Pinheiro Calil
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto René Rachou, Departamento de Pesquisa Clínica e Políticas Públicas de Doenças Infecto-Parasitárias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Adebal de Andrade Filho
- Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais, Hospital João XXIII, Centro de Toxicologia, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gláucia Cota
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto René Rachou, Departamento de Pesquisa Clínica e Políticas Públicas de Doenças Infecto-Parasitárias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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18
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Saavedra-Langer R, Costa TGF, Lima SA, Costal-Oliveira F, Martins CA, Machado-de-Ávila RA, Minozzo JC, Soccol VT, Guerra-Duarte C, Kalapothakis E, Chávez-Olórtegui C. A prokaryote system optimization for rMEPLox expression: A promising non-toxic antigen for Loxosceles antivenom production. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 187:66-75. [PMID: 34246677 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Loxoscelism is the most dangerous araneism form in Brazil and antivenom therapy is the recommended treatment. Antivenom is produced by horse immunization with Loxosceles spider venom, which is toxic for the producer animal. Moreover, due to the high amount of venom required for horse hyperimmunization, new strategies for antigens obtention have been proposed. In this sense, our research group has previously produced a non-toxic recombinant multiepitopic protein derived from Loxosceles toxins (rMEPLox). rMEPLox was a successful immunogen, being able to induce the production of neutralizing antibodies, which could be used in the Loxoscelism treatment. However, rMEPLox obtention procedure requires optimization, as its production needs to be scaled up to suit antivenom manufacture. Therefore, an effective protocol development for rMEPlox production would be advantageous. To achieve this objective, we evaluated the influence of different cultivation conditions for rMEPLox optimum expression. The optimum conditions to obtain large amounts of rMEPlox were defined as the use of C43(DE3)pLysS as a host strain, 2xTY medium, 0.6 mM IPTG, biomass pre induction of OD600nm = 0.4 and incubation at 30 °C for 16 h. Following the optimized protocol, 39.84 mg/L of soluble rMEPLox was obtained and tested as immunogen. The results show that the obtained rMEPLox preserved the previously described immunogenicity, and it was able to generate antibodies that recognize different epitopes of the main Loxosceles venom toxins, which makes it a promising candidate for the antivenom production for loxoscelism treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Saavedra-Langer
- Departamentos de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tamara G F Costa
- Departamentos de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sabrina A Lima
- Departamentos de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Costal-Oliveira
- Departamentos de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Christina A Martins
- Departamentos de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - João C Minozzo
- Centro de Pesquisa e Produção de Imunobiologicos of Paraná State (CPPI), Brazil
| | | | - Clara Guerra-Duarte
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, 30510-010 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Evanguedes Kalapothakis
- Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Carlos Chávez-Olórtegui
- Departamentos de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Ceron K, Vieira C, Carvalho PS, Carrillo JFC, Alonso J, Santana DJ. Epidemiology of snake envenomation from Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009737. [PMID: 34495969 PMCID: PMC8452014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake envenomation is considered a public health problem in tropical countries, where they occur in a high incidence. The present study reports the snake envenomation that occurred in Mato Grosso do Sul state (Brazil) between 2007 and 2017. Epidemiological data were obtained from the online platform of the Notification Disease Information System and were analyzed according to biome. A total of 5568 cases of snake envenomations were recorded during the study period, where the highest frequency was registered between October and April. The majority of envenomations occurred in working-age males (20 to 39 years), caused mainly by Bothrops snakes, and the duration of care after the envenomation in most cases took three hours. The municipalities that showed the highest snake envenomations case per 100,000 inhabitants presents low population density, and have their economy based on agricultural activity, which is a risk factor to snake envenomations. To the Mato Grosso do Sul state, the total number of snake envenomations had a positive relationship with the size of the municipality. Since this, larger areas usually have a mosaic of environments, which may harbor higher richness and abundance of snakes, and can cause more snake encounters with the population, resulting in more snake envenomations. Brazil is the country in South America with the most reported snake envenomations, however, the incidence of snake envenomations is not equal throughout the country. In most cases, the occurrence of snake envenomations is related to environmental factors (e.g., climate) and the increase of human activity in fieldwork. Besides those factors, problems in urban infrastructure, municipality size, or population size are also variables that can influence the number of snake envenomations in a region. The authors found that in the Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, the number of snake envenomations is low when compared with Mato Grosso and Goiás states, and the national average. Despite this, snake envenomations in Mato Grosso do Sul confirmed trends observed in other Brazilian regions, happening mainly in October and April. Most of the envenomations occurred in males by Bothrops snakes and with an attendance time of 3 hours. Also, the authors found that there is a relationship between municipality areas with the number of snake envenomations. Seen this, municipalities with larger areas usually have a mosaic of environments, which may harbor higher richness and abundance of snakes, and can cause more snake encounters with the population, resulting in more snake envenomations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karoline Ceron
- Mapinguari-Laboratório de Sistemática e Biogeografia de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Cássia Vieira
- Mapinguari-Laboratório de Sistemática e Biogeografia de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Priscila Santos Carvalho
- Mapinguari-Laboratório de Sistemática e Biogeografia de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil.,Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Juan Fernando Cuestas Carrillo
- Mapinguari-Laboratório de Sistemática e Biogeografia de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Alonso
- Mapinguari-Laboratório de Sistemática e Biogeografia de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Diego José Santana
- Mapinguari-Laboratório de Sistemática e Biogeografia de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, Campo Grande, Brazil
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Alhamoud MA, Al Fehaid MS, Alhamoud MA, Alkhalifah AA, Alzoayed MH, Menezes RG. Scorpion Stings in Saudi Arabia: An Overview. ACTA BIO-MEDICA : ATENEI PARMENSIS 2021; 92:e2021273. [PMID: 34487071 PMCID: PMC8477104 DOI: 10.23750/abm.v92i4.11550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background and aim of the work: Scorpion sting envenomation is an important cause of morbidity and mortality among incidents caused by envenomations, especially in children and elderly, worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, it is an important issue as the climate and the desert terrain are ideal for scorpions’ habitat. The aim of this review is to emphasize on the importance of scorpion stings in Saudi Arabia and provide updates regarding scorpion types and epidemiological aspects of scorpion stings in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Aliterature review of articles on scorpions and scorpion stings in Saudi Arabia. Results: In Saudi Arabia, at least 28 species of scorpions are identified. An estimated 14,500 scorpion stings are annually documented in various regions of Saudi Arabia. Most of the cases of scorpion envenomation recover completely with treatment in Saudi Arabia. People who live in the desert terrain, such as nomads or shepherds, are the population at highest risk for scorpion stings. The highest incidence of scorpion stings is reported during the summer season. Conclusion: Scorpions are found to inhabit all the regions of the country. The incidence of scorpion stings in Saudi Arabia seems to be significant. However, the mortality rate is low in Saudi Arabia. There are insufficient studies regarding this topic, and as such, it is clear that there is a lack of information regarding autopsy findings of scorpion sting deaths in Saudi Arabia. (www.actabiomedica.it)
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa A Alhamoud
- College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mohammad S Al Fehaid
- College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mohammed A Alhamoud
- College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ahmed A Alkhalifah
- College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mohammed H Alzoayed
- College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ritesh G Menezes
- College of Medicine, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
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21
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Berber I, Korkmaz S, Sarici A, Erkurt MA, Kuku I, Kaya E, Bicim S, Ozgul M. Therapeutic plasma exchange for envenomation: Is it reasonable? Transfus Apher Sci 2021; 60:103241. [PMID: 34429240 DOI: 10.1016/j.transci.2021.103241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The incidence of poisoning due to snakebite and Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), referred to as 'envenomation', varies according to the region, and many deaths occur every year. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a method of extracorporeal blood purification that clears toxins and virus load from the circulation. Therefore, its use has been increasing recently in envenomation cases. However, there are a limited number of studies on poisoning due to snakebite and CCHF. In the present study, we share our TPE experience retrospectively in patients diagnosed with poisoning due to snakebite and CCHF between 2010 and 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 26 patiens, including 20 patients with poisoning due to snakebite and 6 CCHF patients were treated with TPE. Demographic data, clinical status, and outcomes of patients were recorded. Routine biochemical and hematologic laboratory parameters were analyzed before and after TPE. TPE was performed by using centrifugation technology via a central venous catheter. Fresh frozen plasma was used as replacement fluid. RESULTS An average of 3.95 (1-11) apheresis sessions were applied to patients poisoned due to snakebite, and 19 patients (95 %) were discharged in an average of 8.3 (1-17) days without any complications. None of the patients enrolled in the study lost their limbs. Only one patient died due to disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Six patients with CCHF who received 5 sessions of TPE on average were discharged successfully after an average of 6.5 days. No adverse events or complications were observed in any patient after TPE. CONCLUSIONS TPE is a good alternative and a reliable method in treating envenomation cases who are refractory to supportive measures. TPE should be performed without delay in cases of poisoning due to snakebite and CCHF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilhami Berber
- Inonu University, Department of Hematology, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Serdal Korkmaz
- University of Health Sciences, Kayseri City Training and Research Hospital, Department of Hematology & Apheresis Unit, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Sarici
- Inonu University, Department of Hematology, Malatya, Turkey
| | | | - Irfan Kuku
- Inonu University, Department of Hematology, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Emin Kaya
- Inonu University, Department of Hematology, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Soykan Bicim
- Inonu University, Department of Hematology, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Ozgul
- Inonu University, Department of Hematology, Malatya, Turkey
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Carotenuto SE, Bergman PJ, Ray JR, McKee T. Retrospective comparison of three antivenoms for the treatment of dogs with crotalid envenomation. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2021; 259:503-509. [PMID: 34388014 DOI: 10.2460/javma.259.5.503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To retrospectively compare clinical outcomes associated with 3 commercially available antivenom products (2 F[ab']2 products and 1 IgG product) in dogs with crotalid envenomation. ANIMALS 282 dogs with evidence of crotalid envenomation treated with antivenom at a single high-volume private emergency facility in southwestern Arizona from 2014 to 2018. PROCEDURES Data were collected on all dogs regarding signalment, coagulation test results, snakebite characteristics, type and number of units of antivenom received (1 of 3 products), survival to hospital discharge (yes or no), and complications following discharge. Survival rates and other variables were compared among antivenoms by means of bivariable analyses. RESULTS 271 of 282 (96.1%) dogs survived to discharge; 11 (3.9%) were euthanized or died in the hospital. No significant difference in survival rates was found among the 3 antivenom products. Infusion reaction rates were higher for the IgG product than for each F(ab')2 product. A higher percentage of dogs treated with the IgG product (vs either F[ab']2 product) received only 1 unit of antivenom. Variables associated with a lower probability of survival included older age and lower body weight, thoracic (vs other) location of snakebites, and presence of an antivenom infusion reaction. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Given that survival rates were high for all 3 antivenom products, clinicians may consider other factors when selecting an antivenom, such as preference for a fractionated versus whole immunoglobulin product, risk of infusion reaction, cost, shelf life, availability, ease of use and administration, species of crotalids used for antivenom production, approval by federal regulatory bodies, and clinical preference.
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Zhou X, Ahn DU, Xia M, Zeng Q, Li X, Cai Z. Fab Fragment of Immunoglobulin Y Modulates NF-κB and MAPK Signaling through TLR4 and αVβ3 Integrin and Inhibits the Inflammatory Effect on R264.7 Macrophages. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2021; 69:8747-8757. [PMID: 34337939 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c03330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
High-purity Fab fragment and immunoglobulin Y (IgY) were prepared to evaluate their anti-inflammatory activity in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced Raw 264.7 macrophage system. Compared with IgY, the Fab fragment possessed a greater potency in inhibiting the inflammation by nitric oxide (NO)/inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2)/cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) pathways. The Fab fragment attenuated the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) to 38.07 ± 1.86-48.39 ± 11.33 pg/mL (63.1-71.0% inhibition), 31.59 ± 3.91-38.08 ± 4.44 pg/mL (72.4-77.1% inhibition), and 20.62 ± 0.46-21.91 ± 0.65 pg/mL (50-53% inhibition), respectively. Additionally, the Fab fragment significantly inhibited the translocation of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 and the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) proteins, including ERK1/2 (41.5/33.2%), JNK1/2 (44.2/39.6%), and p38 (42.2%). The Fab fragment could be internalized into cells, and the pretreatment of RAW 264.7 macrophages with the Fab fragment reduced the mRNA expression of the Toll-like receptor (TLR4, 32.7-44.4% inhibition) and αVβ3 integrin (76.1% inhibition). In conclusion, Fab fragments regulated the TLR4 and αVβ3 integrin-mediated inflammatory processes by blocking the NF-κB and MAPKs pathways in the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, National Research and Development Centre for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Dong Uk Ahn
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Minquan Xia
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, National Research and Development Centre for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qi Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, National Research and Development Centre for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiaomeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, National Research and Development Centre for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhaoxia Cai
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, National Research and Development Centre for Egg Processing, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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Boghozian A, Nazem H, Fazilati M, Hejazi SH, Sheikh Sajjadieh M. Toxicity and protein composition of venoms of Hottentotta saulcyi, Hottentotta schach and Androctonus crassicauda, three scorpion species collected in Iran. Vet Med Sci 2021; 7:2418-2426. [PMID: 34358414 PMCID: PMC8604134 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scorpion stings comprise a serious problem throughout the globe, especially in regions where they are more frequent. Despite a recent upsurge of interest in scorpion venoms by various research groups, there remain many challenges. OBJECTIVE Therefore, in this study, we aimed to study the toxicity and protein composition of venoms of Hottentotta saulcyi, Hottentotta schach and Androctonus crassicauda, three scorpion species collected in Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS Scorpion species were collected from Esfahan farm scorpion company and maintained in the laboratory in containers that mimic their natural habitat. Venom was extracted from A. crassicauda, H. schach and H. saulcyi by electrical stimulation of 8 and 10 V. The toxicity of each venom was established by using four groups of male Swiss albino mice aged 2 months (weighting 18-20 g) for testing each dose of venom. One group was used as a control. Venom was injected into mice by subcutaneous route. Then, animals were monitored for 24 h and LD50 was estimated by the graphic method of Miller and Tainter. Thus, high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was used to determine amino acids in the venom, and protein concentrations were determined by the Biuret method. RESULTS LD50 of scorpion venoms by subcutaneous route was found to be 1.70 mg/kg b.w (A. crassicauda), 1.47 mg/kg b.w (H. saulcyi) and 0.85 mg/kg b.w (H. schach). A. crassicauda, H. saulcyi and H. schach contain 26, 30, and 31 amino acids, respectively. A. crassicauda contains low concentrations of alpha-aminoadipic acid, beta-aminoisobutyric acid, beta-alanine and citrulline. H. saulcyi contains a concentration of hydroxylysine, whereas H. schach has no such concentration. A. crassicauda also had the highest levels of tyrosine and threonine. Only A. crassicauda venom contains a low proportion of proteins (14.80%) compared with those of H. schach (16.26%) and H. saulcyi (16.20%). Albumin content in the venoms was 11.7% (H. saulcyi), 5.4% (H. schach) and 4.4% (A. crassicauda). CONCLUSION Scorpions venoms have a variable toxicity and an interesting composition in amino acids and proteins. Work on the development of anti-venom is fundamental.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ani Boghozian
- Department of Biochemistry, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Habibollah Nazem
- Department of Biochemistry, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Seyed Hossein Hejazi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Alomran N, Alsolaiss J, Albulescu LO, Crittenden E, Harrison RA, Ainsworth S, Casewell NR. Pathology-specific experimental antivenoms for haemotoxic snakebite: The impact of immunogen diversity on the in vitro cross-reactivity and in vivo neutralisation of geographically diverse snake venoms. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009659. [PMID: 34407084 PMCID: PMC8423360 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Snakebite is a neglected tropical disease that causes high global rates of mortality and morbidity. Although snakebite can cause a variety of pathologies in victims, haemotoxic effects are particularly common and are typically characterised by haemorrhage and/or venom-induced consumption coagulopathy. Antivenoms are the mainstay therapeutic for treating the toxic effects of snakebite, but despite saving thousands of lives annually, these therapies are associated with limited cross-snake species efficacy due to venom variation, which ultimately restricts their therapeutic utility to particular geographical regions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study we explored the feasibility of generating globally effective pathology-specific antivenoms to counteract the haemotoxic signs of snakebite envenoming. Two different immunogen mixtures, consisting of seven and twelve haemotoxic venoms sourced from geographically diverse and/or medically important snakes, were used to raise ovine polyclonal antibodies, prior to characterisation of their immunological binding characteristics and in vitro neutralisation profiles against each of the venoms. Despite variability of the immunogen mixtures, both experimental antivenoms exhibited broadly comparable in vitro venom binding and neutralisation profiles against the individual venom immunogens in immunological and functional assays. However, in vivo assessments using a murine preclinical model of antivenom efficacy revealed substantial differences in venom neutralisation. The experimental antivenom generated from the seven venom immunogen mixture outperformed the comparator, by providing protective effects against venom lethality caused by seven of the eight geographically diverse venoms tested, including three distinct venoms that were not used as immunogens to generate this antivenom. These findings suggest that a core set of venom immunogens may be sufficient to stimulate antibodies capable of broadly neutralising a geographically diverse array of haemotoxic snake venoms, and that adding additional venom immunogens may impact negatively on the dose efficacy of the resulting antivenom. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Although selection of appropriate immunogens that encapsulate venom toxin diversity without diluting antivenom potency remains challenging and further optimisation is required, the findings from this pilot study suggest that the generation of pathology-specific antivenoms with global utility is likely to feasible, thereby highlighting their promise as future modular treatments for the world's tropical snakebite victims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nessrin Alomran
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jaffer Alsolaiss
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Laura-Oana Albulescu
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Edouard Crittenden
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Robert A. Harrison
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart Ainsworth
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Fernandes CFC, Pereira SS, Luiz MB, Silva NKRL, Silva MCS, Marinho ACM, Fonseca MHG, Furtado GP, Trevizani R, Nicolete R, Soares AM, Zuliani JP, Stabeli RG. Engineering of single-domain antibodies for next-generation snakebite antivenoms. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 185:240-250. [PMID: 34118288 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Given the magnitude of the global snakebite crisis, strategies to ensure the quality of antivenom, as well as the availability and sustainability of its supply are under development by several research groups. Recombinant DNA technology has allowed the engineering of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant fragments as alternatives to conventional antivenoms. Besides having higher therapeutic efficacy, with broad neutralization capacity against local and systemic toxicity, novel antivenoms need to be safe and cost-effective. Due to the biological and physical chemical properties of camelid single-domain antibodies, with high volume of distribution to distal tissue, their modular format, and their versatility, their biotechnological application has grown considerably in recent decades. This article presents the most up-to-date developments concerning camelid single-domain-based antibodies against major toxins from snake venoms, the main venomous animals responsible for reported envenoming cases and related human deaths. A brief discussion on the composition, challenges, and perspectives of antivenoms is presented, as well as the road ahead for next-generation antivenoms based on single-domain antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Soraya S Pereira
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz Rondônia, and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT-EpiAmO, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Marcos B Luiz
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz Rondônia, and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT-EpiAmO, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Nauanny K R L Silva
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz Rondônia, and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT-EpiAmO, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Marcela Cristina S Silva
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz Rondônia, and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT-EpiAmO, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Andreimar M Soares
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz Rondônia, and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT-EpiAmO, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Juliana P Zuliani
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz Rondônia, and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT-EpiAmO, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo G Stabeli
- Plataforma Bi-Institucional de Medicina Translacional (Fiocruz-USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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Saggiomo SL, Firth C, Wilson DT, Seymour J, Miles JJ, Wong Y. The Geographic Distribution, Venom Components, Pathology and Treatments of Stonefish ( Synanceia spp.) Venom. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:md19060302. [PMID: 34073964 PMCID: PMC8225006 DOI: 10.3390/md19060302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Stonefish are regarded as one of the most venomous fish in the world. Research on stonefish venom has chiefly focused on the in vitro and in vivo neurological, cardiovascular, cytotoxic and nociceptive effects of the venom. The last literature review on stonefish venom was published over a decade ago, and much has changed in the field since. In this review, we have generated a global map of the current distribution of all stonefish (Synanceia) species, presented a table of clinical case reports and provided up-to-date information about the development of polyspecific stonefish antivenom. We have also presented an overview of recent advancements in the biomolecular composition of stonefish venom, including the analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic data from Synanceia horrida venom gland. Moreover, this review highlights the need for further research on the composition and properties of stonefish venom, which may reveal novel molecules for drug discovery, development or other novel physiological uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia L. Saggiomo
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia; (C.F.); (D.T.W.); (J.S.); (J.J.M.); (Y.W.)
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Cadhla Firth
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia; (C.F.); (D.T.W.); (J.S.); (J.J.M.); (Y.W.)
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia
| | - David T. Wilson
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia; (C.F.); (D.T.W.); (J.S.); (J.J.M.); (Y.W.)
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia
| | - Jamie Seymour
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia; (C.F.); (D.T.W.); (J.S.); (J.J.M.); (Y.W.)
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia
| | - John J. Miles
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia; (C.F.); (D.T.W.); (J.S.); (J.J.M.); (Y.W.)
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia
| | - Yide Wong
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia; (C.F.); (D.T.W.); (J.S.); (J.J.M.); (Y.W.)
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, James Cook University, Cairns 4878, Australia
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Faisal T, Tan KY, Tan NH, Sim SM, Gnanathasan CA, Tan CH. Proteomics, toxicity and antivenom neutralization of Sri Lankan and Indian Russell's viper ( Daboia russelii) venoms. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2021; 27:e20200177. [PMID: 33995514 PMCID: PMC8092856 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The western Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) is widely distributed in South Asia, and geographical venom variation is anticipated among distant populations. Antivenoms used for Russell's viper envenomation are, however, raised typically against snakes from Southern India. The present study investigated and compared the venom proteomes of D. russelii from Sri Lanka (DrSL) and India (DrI), the immunorecognition of Indian VINS Polyvalent Antivenom (VPAV) and its efficacy in neutralizing the venom toxicity. METHODS The venoms of DrSL and DrI were decomplexed with C18 high-performance liquid chromatography and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. The proteins fractionated were identified through nano-ESI-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS). The immunological studies were conducted with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The neutralization of the venom procoagulant effect was evaluated in citrated human plasma. The neutralization of the venom lethality was assessed in vivo in mice adopting the WHO protocol. RESULTS DrSL and DrI venom proteomes showed comparable major protein families, with phospholipases A2 (PLA2) being the most abundant (> 60% of total venom proteins) and diverse (six protein forms identified). Both venoms were highly procoagulant and lethal (intravenous median lethal dose in mice, LD50 = 0.24 and 0.32 µg/g, for DrSL and DrI, respectively), while lacking hemorrhagic and anticoagulant activities. VPAV was immunoreactive toward DrSL and DrI venoms, indicating conserved protein antigenicity in the venoms. The high molecular weight venom proteins were, however, more effectively immunorecognized than small ones. VPAV was able to neutralize the coagulopathic and lethal effects of the venoms moderately. CONCLUSION Considering that a large amount of venom can be injected by Russell's viper during envenomation, the potency of antivenom can be further improved for optimal neutralization and effective treatment. Region-specific venoms and key toxins may be incorporated into the immunization procedure during antivenom production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasnim Faisal
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kae Yi Tan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nget Hong Tan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Si Mui Sim
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Choo Hock Tan
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Kadkhodazadeh M, Rajabibazl M, Motedayen M, Shahidi S, Veisi Malekshahi Z, Rahimpour A, Yarahmadi M. Isolation of Polyclonal Single-Chain Fragment Variable (scFv) Antibodies Against Venomous Snakes of Iran and Evaluation of Their Capability in Neutralizing the Venom. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH : IJPR 2021; 19:288-296. [PMID: 33680030 PMCID: PMC7758004 DOI: 10.22037/ijpr.2019.14400.12358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Several species of dangerous snakes are found in Iran and, according to the Emergency Response Center of Iran from 2002 to 2011, 53,787 Iranians have suffered from snakebite. Although the mortalities caused by snakebite are very low, snakebite-related amputations are still a major concern. Currently, anti-venom polyclonal antibodies derived from animals, such as horses are used to treat snakebites; however, in some cases they can cause anaphylactic shock and serum sickness. In line with this premise, generation of recombinant anti-venom antibodies can be considered as an alternative strategy. Single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies offer several advantages compared to the whole antibodies, including ease of production, high affinity and specificity. In the present study, scFv antibodies were selected against the venom of the most poisonous snakes in Iran using phage display technology. Phage particles harboring anti-venom specific scFv were separated and scFv antibodies were produced in bacteria. In-vitro assay showed that polyclonal scFvs specifically bind to the venom. Furthermore, in-vivo experiment in mice BALB/c indicated effective toxin neutralization using 20 µg of polyclonal scFv. Our study indicates the neutralizing capacity of anti-venom polyclonal scFvs, although further neutralization assays are needed to confirm their effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Kadkhodazadeh
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Rajabibazl
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Motedayen
- Department of Serotherapy, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
| | - Solmaz Shahidi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ziba Veisi Malekshahi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Rahimpour
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maral Yarahmadi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Adeyi AO, Ajisebiola BS, Adeyi OE, Adekunle O, Akande OB, James AS, Ajayi BO, Yusuf PO, Idowu BA. Moringa oleifera leaf fractions attenuated Naje haje venom-induced cellular dysfunctions via modulation of Nrf2 and inflammatory signalling pathways in rats. Biochem Biophys Rep 2021; 25:100890. [PMID: 33521334 PMCID: PMC7820385 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2020.100890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Naja haje envenoming could activate multiple pathways linked to haematotoxic, neurological, and antioxidant systems dysfunctions. Moringa oleifera has been used in the management of different snake venom-induced toxicities, but there is no scientific information on its antivenom effects against Naja haje. This study thus, investigated the antivenom activities of different extract partitions of M. oleifera leaves against N. haje envenoming. Forty five male rats were divided into nine groups (n = 5). Groups 2 to 9 were envenomed with 0.025 mg/kg (LD50) of N . haje venom while group 1 was given saline. Group 2 was left untreated, while group 3 was treated with polyvalent antivenom, groups 4, 6 and 8 were treated with 300 mg/kg-1 of N-hexane, ethylacetate and ethanol partitions of M. oleifera, respectively. Groups 5, 7 and 9 were also treated with 600 mgkg-1of the partitions, respectively. Ethanol extract and ethyl acetate partition of M. oleifera significantly improved haematological indices following acute anaemia induced by the venom. Likewise, haemorrhagic, haemolytic and anti-coagulant activities of N. haje venom were best inhibited by ethanol partition. Envenoming significantly down-regulated Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) with the consequent elevation of antioxidant enzymes activities in the serum and brain. Treatment with extract partitions however, elevated Nrf2 levels while normalising antioxidant enzyme activities. Furthermore, there were reduction in levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and interleukin-1β) in tissues of treated envenomed rats. This study concludes that ethanol partition of M. oleifera was most effective against N. haje venom and could be considered as a potential source for antivenom metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Olubisi Esther Adeyi
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | - Olarewaju Adekunle
- Department of Pure and Applied Zoology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | - Olanike Busirat Akande
- Department of Pure and Applied Zoology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | - Adewale Segun James
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | | | - Peter Ofemile Yusuf
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Babatunde A. Idowu
- Department of Pure and Applied Zoology, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
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Pucca MB, Knudsen C, S. Oliveira I, Rimbault C, A. Cerni F, Wen FH, Sachett J, Sartim MA, Laustsen AH, Monteiro WM. Current Knowledge on Snake Dry Bites. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12110668. [PMID: 33105644 PMCID: PMC7690386 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12110668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake ‘dry bites’ are characterized by the absence of venom being injected into the victim during a snakebite incident. The dry bite mechanism and diagnosis are quite complex, and the lack of envenoming symptoms in these cases may be misinterpreted as a miraculous treatment or as proof that the bite from the perpetrating snake species is rather harmless. The circumstances of dry bites and their clinical diagnosis are not well-explored in the literature, which may lead to ambiguity amongst treating personnel about whether antivenom is indicated or not. Here, the epidemiology and recorded history of dry bites are reviewed, and the clinical knowledge on the dry bite phenomenon is presented and discussed. Finally, this review proposes a diagnostic and therapeutic protocol to assist medical care after snake dry bites, aiming to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela B. Pucca
- Medical School, Federal University of Roraima, Boa Vista 69310-000, Roraima, Brazil;
| | - Cecilie Knudsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (C.K.); (C.R.); (A.H.L.)
- Bioporto Diagnostics A/S, DK-2900 Hellerup, Denmark
| | - Isadora S. Oliveira
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.S.O.); (F.A.C.)
| | - Charlotte Rimbault
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (C.K.); (C.R.); (A.H.L.)
| | - Felipe A. Cerni
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14049-900, Brazil; (I.S.O.); (F.A.C.)
| | - Fan Hui Wen
- Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil;
| | - Jacqueline Sachett
- Department of Medicine and Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Amazonas State University, Manaus 69065-001, Amazonas, Brazil;
- Department of Teaching and Research, Alfredo da Matta Foundation, Manaus 69065-130, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Marco A. Sartim
- Department of Teaching and Research, Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado Tropical Medicine Foundation, Manaus 69040-000, Amazonas, Brazil;
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Amazonas Federal University, Manaus 69067-005, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Andreas H. Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; (C.K.); (C.R.); (A.H.L.)
| | - Wuelton M. Monteiro
- Department of Medicine and Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Amazonas State University, Manaus 69065-001, Amazonas, Brazil;
- Department of Teaching and Research, Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado Tropical Medicine Foundation, Manaus 69040-000, Amazonas, Brazil;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-92-99165-2486
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Neri-Castro E, Bénard-Valle M, Paniagua D, V. Boyer L, D. Possani L, López-Casillas F, Olvera A, Romero C, Zamudio F, Alagón A. Neotropical Rattlesnake ( Crotalus simus) Venom Pharmacokinetics in Lymph and Blood Using an Ovine Model. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12070455. [PMID: 32708875 PMCID: PMC7405010 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12070455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The most abundant protein families in viper venoms are Snake Venom Metalloproteases (SVMPs), Snake Venom Serine Proteases (SVSPs) and Phospholipases (PLA2s). These are primarily responsible for the pathophysiology caused by the bite of pit-vipers; however, there are few studies that analyze the pharmacokinetics (PK) of whole venom (WV) and its protein families. We studied the pathophysiology, PK profile and differential absorption of representative toxins from venom of Neotropical Rattlesnake (Crotalus simus) in a large animal model (ovine). Toxins studied included crotoxin (the main lethal component), which causes moderate to severe neurotoxicity; SVSPs, which deplete fibrinogen; and SVMPs, which cause local tissue damage and local and systemic hemorrhage. We found that Whole Venom (WV) was highly bioavailable (86%) 60 h following intramuscular (IM) injection, and extrapolation suggests that bioavailability may be as high as 92%. PK profiles of individual toxins were consistent with their physicochemical properties and expected clinical effects. Lymph cannulated animals absorbed 1.9% of WV through lymph during the first 12 h. Crotoxin was minimally detectable in serum after intravenous (IV) injection; however, following IM injection it was detected in lymph but not in blood. This suggests that crotoxin is quickly released from the blood toward its tissue targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Neri-Castro
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico; (E.N.-C.); (M.B.-V.); (L.D.P.); (A.O.); (F.Z.)
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio B Primer Piso, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Melisa Bénard-Valle
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico; (E.N.-C.); (M.B.-V.); (L.D.P.); (A.O.); (F.Z.)
| | - Dayanira Paniagua
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California 22860, Mexico;
| | - Leslie V. Boyer
- Venom Immunochemistry, Pharmacology, and Emergency Response (VIPER) Institute, University of Arizona,1501 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA;
| | - Lourival D. Possani
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico; (E.N.-C.); (M.B.-V.); (L.D.P.); (A.O.); (F.Z.)
| | - Fernando López-Casillas
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Alejandro Olvera
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico; (E.N.-C.); (M.B.-V.); (L.D.P.); (A.O.); (F.Z.)
| | - Camilo Romero
- Centro Universitario UAEM Amecameca, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Amecameca de Juárez 56900, Mexico;
| | - Fernando Zamudio
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico; (E.N.-C.); (M.B.-V.); (L.D.P.); (A.O.); (F.Z.)
| | - Alejandro Alagón
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca 62210, Mexico; (E.N.-C.); (M.B.-V.); (L.D.P.); (A.O.); (F.Z.)
- Correspondence:
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Plants Used in Antivenom Therapy in Rural Kenya: Ethnobotany and Future Perspectives. J Toxicol 2020; 2020:1828521. [PMID: 32612650 PMCID: PMC7315313 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1828521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake envenomation is one of the neglected tropical diseases which has left an intolerable death toll and severe socioeconomic losses in Kenya. In a continued effort to identify some antiophidic East African botanical species, this study generated ethnobotanical information on antivenom plants reported in Kenya, with a view to identify potential species which could be subjected to in vitro and clinical studies for possible development into antivenoms. Data retrieved through searches done in multidisciplinary databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Scientific Electronic Library Online) indicated that 54 plant species belonging to 45 genera, distributed among 27 families, are used for the management of snakebites in Kenya. Most species belonged to the family Asteraceae (11%), Malvaceae (11%), Fabaceae (9%), Annonaceae (6%), Combretaceae (6%), and Lamiaceae (6%). The main growth habit of the species is as herbs (35%), shrubs (33%), and trees (28%). Ethnomedicinal preparations used in treating snake poisons are usually from leaves (48%), roots (26%), and stem bark (8%) through decoctions, infusions, powders, and juices which are applied topically or administered orally. The most frequently encountered species were Combretum collinum, Euclea divinorum, Fuerstia africana, Grewia fallax, Microglossa pyrifolia, Solanecio mannii, and Solanum incanum. Indigenous knowledge on medicinal antivenom therapy in Kenya is humongous, and therefore studies to isolate and evaluate the antivenom compounds in the claimed plants are required to enable their confident use in antivenom therapy alongside commercial antivenin sera.
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Kini RM. Toxinology provides multidirectional and multidimensional opportunities: A personal perspective. Toxicon X 2020; 6:100039. [PMID: 32550594 PMCID: PMC7285919 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2020.100039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In nature, toxins have evolved as weapons to capture and subdue the prey or to counter predators or competitors. When they are inadvertently injected into humans, they cause symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to debilitation and death. Toxinology is the science of studying venoms and toxins that are produced by a wide variety of organisms. In the past, the structure, function and mechanisms of most abundant and/or most toxic components were characterized to understand and to develop strategies to neutralize their toxicity. With recent technical advances, we are able to evaluate and determine the toxin profiles using transcriptomes of venom glands and proteomes of tiny amounts of venom. Enormous amounts of data from these studies have opened tremendous opportunities in many directions of basic and applied research. The lower costs for profiling venoms will further fuel the expansion of toxin database, which in turn will provide greater exciting and bright opportunities in toxin research.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Manjunatha Kini
- Protein Science Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Torabi E, Behdani M, Khalaj V, Pooshang Bagheri K, Shahbazzadeh D. Complete neutralization of the lethality of Hemiscorpius lepturus crude venom by a novel anti-recombinant phospholipase D1 IgGs. Toxicon 2020; 183:36-43. [PMID: 32445840 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Treatment of scorpion envenomation is a challenging issue since serotherapy is implemented by administration of polyvalent equine antisera. In our previous study we discovered that recombinant phospholipase D1 (Hl-RecPLD1) is responsible for the lethality of Hemiscorpius lepturus (H. lepturus) venom in mice. Accordingly, this study was aimed to investigate the protectivity of purified anti-Hl-RecPLD1 IgG against the lethality or major complications of H. lepturus venom. The neutralization efficiency of purified anti-Hl-RecPLD1 IgGs against sphingomyelinase activities of the crude venom and Hl-RecPLD1 was also assessed. Anti-Hl-RecPLD1 IgGs at optimum amount of 3.7 mg completely neutralized one Lethal Dose 100 (LD100) of crude venom in mice. The anti-Hl-RecPLD1 IgGs remarkably reduced the necrosis area from 6.5 to 1 cm2 in rabbit derma, induced by the crude venom. The anti-Hl-RecPLD1 IgGs remarkably reduced the sphingomyelinase and hemolytic activities of crude venom as well. In conclusion, a novel rabbit monovalent IgG against Hl-RecPLD1 was able to completely protect the mice against the lethality of H. lepturus crude venom and reduced its toxicity as well. Such monovalent anti-Hl-RecPLD1 IgGs may have potential applications in serotherapy of H. lepturus envenomation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Torabi
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Behdani
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Khalaj
- Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kamran Pooshang Bagheri
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Delavar Shahbazzadeh
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Lab., Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
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Omara T, Kagoya S, Openy A, Omute T, Ssebulime S, Kiplagat KM, Bongomin O. Antivenin plants used for treatment of snakebites in Uganda: ethnobotanical reports and pharmacological evidences. Trop Med Health 2020; 48:6. [PMID: 32071543 PMCID: PMC7014759 DOI: 10.1186/s41182-019-0187-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenomation is a serious public health concern in rural areas of Uganda. Snakebites are poorly documented in Uganda because most occur in rural settings where traditional therapists end up being the first-line defense for treatment. Ethnobotanical surveys in Uganda have reported that some plants are used to antagonize the activity of various snake venoms. This review was sought to identify antivenin plants in Uganda and some pharmacological evidence supporting their use. A literature survey done in multidisciplinary databases revealed that 77 plant species belonging to 65 genera and 42 families are used for the treatment of snakebites in Uganda. The majority of these species belong to family Fabaceae (31%), Euphorbiaceae (14%), Asteraceae (12%), Amaryllidaceae (10%) and Solanaceae (10%). The main growth habit of the species is shrubs (41%), trees (33%) and herbs (18%). Antivenin extracts are usually prepared from roots (54%) and leaves (23%) through decoctions, infusions, powders, and juices, and are administered orally (67%) or applied topically (17%). The most frequently encountered species were Allium cepa, Carica papaya, Securidaca longipedunculata, Harrisonia abyssinica, and Nicotiana tabacum. Species with global reports of tested antivenom activity included Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Basella alba, Capparis tomentosa, Carica papaya, Cassia occidentalis, Jatropa carcus, Vernonia cinereal, Bidens pilosa, Hoslundia opposita, Maytensus senegalensis, Securinega virosa, and Solanum incanum. There is need to identify and evaluate the antivenom compounds in the claimed plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Omara
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological and Physical Sciences, Moi University, Uasin Gishu County, Kesses, P.O.Box 3900-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
- Department of Quality Control and Quality Assurance, Product Development Directory, AgroWays Uganda Limited, Plot 34-60, Kyabazinga Way, P.O. Box 1924, Jinja, Uganda
| | - Sarah Kagoya
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, P.O. Box 1, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Quality Control and Quality Assurance, Product Development Directory, Kakira Sugar Limited, P.O. Box 121, Jinja, Uganda
| | - Abraham Openy
- Department of Paediatric and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, P.O.Box 166, Gulu, Uganda
| | - Tom Omute
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Lira University, P.O. Box 1035, Lira, Uganda
| | - Stephen Ssebulime
- Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory, Ministry of Internal Affairs, P.O. Box 2174, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Kibet Mohamed Kiplagat
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Moi University, Uasin Gishu County, Kesses, P.O. Box 3900-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Ocident Bongomin
- Department of Manufacturing, Industrial and Textile Engineering, School of Engineering, Moi University, Uasin Gishu County, Kesses, P.O. Box 3900-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
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Chippaux JP, Massougbodji A, Habib AG. The WHO strategy for prevention and control of snakebite envenoming: a sub-Saharan Africa plan. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2019; 25:e20190083. [PMID: 31839803 PMCID: PMC6892564 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2019-0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebite is a critical public health issue in tropical countries, particularly in Africa, where 20% of snakebites globally occur. In 2017, the WHO added snakebite envenoming to the category A of neglected tropical diseases. In 2019, thanks to broad institutional and international NGO support, including strong mobilization of African experts and governments, WHO launched a strategy for prevention and control of snakebite envenoming with more ambitious goals. In sub-Saharan Africa, accessibility of antivenoms and symptomatic, adjuvant or replacement therapy is a priority. Several antivenoms are available but their evaluation has not been properly carried out and they remain expensive. To date, there are no manufacturers of antivenom in sub-Saharan Africa (except in South Africa), which requires their importation from other continents. The lack of experience in antivenom choice and its use by health authorities, health personnel and population largely explains the shortage in sub-Saharan Africa. The deficiency of epidemiological data does not allow the implementation of appropriate and efficient care. It is crucial to strengthen the health system which does not have the necessary means for emergency management in general and envenoming in particular. Providing peripheral health centers with antivenoms would decrease complications and deaths. The motivation of communities at risk, identified through the epidemiological data, would be to reduce the delay in consultation that is detrimental to the efficiency of treatment. Partnerships need to be coordinated to optimize resources from international institutions, particularly African ones, and share the burden of treatment costs among all stakeholders. We propose here a project of progressive implementation of antivenom manufacturing in sub-Saharan Africa. The various steps, from the supply of appropriate venoms to the production of purified specific antibodies and vial filling, would be financed by international, regional and local funding promoting technology transfer from current manufacturers compensated by interest on the sale of antivenoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Chippaux
- Centre de Recherche d'Île de France, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Paris, France.,Center for Translational Science, Pasteur Institute, Paris, Île-de-France, France
| | | | - Abdulrazaq G Habib
- Department of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Kano, Nigeria
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Abd El-Aziz TM, Shoulkamy MI, Hegazy AM, Stockand JD, Mahmoud A, Mashaly AMA. Comparative study of the in vivo toxicity and pathophysiology of envenomation by three medically important Egyptian snake venoms. Arch Toxicol 2019; 94:335-344. [DOI: 10.1007/s00204-019-02619-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Rodríguez-Abarca S, Corrales G, Chacón D, Guevara M, Esquivel C, Arroyo C, Gómez A. Morphological alterations caused by manual venom extraction on the main venom gland of Bothrops asper and Crotalus simus snakes (Serpentes: Viperidae): Long-term implications for antivenom production. Toxicon 2019; 172:23-32. [PMID: 31689424 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.10.242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The only scientifically validated treatment for snakebite envenomation is the administration of antivenoms. For their production, small quantities of snake venom are injected in animals to elicit a specific antibody response. Snakes are kept in captivity, and their venom is regularly extracted to assure antivenom access. It has already been reported that the pressure exerted upon the venom gland during this extraction can cause tissue damage and fibrosis, leading to a decrease in the venom yield. We described the histopathology of venom glands for B. asper and C. simus snakes used for antivenom production. Based on these reported tissue abnormalities, we quantify the tissue injury by a generated damage-SCORE and fibrosis. A variety of histopathological damages were found such as fibrosis, edema, necrosis, hemorrhage, and formation of anomalous structures, especially in C. simus, which is more prone to suffer severe damage. The level and severity of the damage depend on the frequency and the number of venom extractions. Furthermore, we design an experimental intensive venom extraction scheme with which we could confirm the causality of these effects. In addition to the histopathological damages, the LD50 and biochemical venom composition were also affected giving experimental evidence that the venom extraction not only causes tissue damage but also affects the composition stability and toxicity of the venom. In order to produce quality and effective antivenoms, an improvement of the management of snake collections could be established, such as rotation groups to assure the quality of the venom yielded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Rodríguez-Abarca
- Serpentario, Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Apto: 11501-2060, Costa Rica; Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Apto: 86-3000, Costa Rica.
| | - Greivin Corrales
- Serpentario, Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Apto: 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
| | - Danilo Chacón
- Serpentario, Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Apto: 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
| | - Maricruz Guevara
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Técnica Nacional, Alajuela, Costa Rica.
| | - Carolina Esquivel
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Laboratoria de Biología Tropical, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional, Apto: 86-3000, Heredia, Costa Rica.
| | - Cynthia Arroyo
- Departamento de Análisis Clínicos, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Apto: 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
| | - Aarón Gómez
- Serpentario, Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Apto: 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
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Lopes-de-Souza L, Costal-Oliveira F, Stransky S, Fonseca de Freitas C, Guerra-Duarte C, Braga VMM, Chávez-Olórtegui C. Development of a cell-based in vitro assay as a possible alternative for determining bothropic antivenom potency. Toxicon 2019; 170:68-76. [PMID: 31494208 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Accidents with venomous snakes are a major health hazard in tropical countries. Bothrops genus is responsible for almost 80% of snakebites in Brazil. Immunotherapy is the only approved specific treatment against snake toxins and the production of therapeutic antivenoms requires quality control tests to determine their neutralizing potency. Currently, these controls are performed by in vivo lethality neutralization, however, the inhibition of particular events produced by bothropic venoms such as coagulopathy, hemorrhage, edema or cytotoxic effects are also required. The aim of this work is to develop an in vitro alternative assay for antivenom pre-clinical evaluation. In this sense, we designed a cell viability assay using different amounts (0.2-10 μL/well) of low and high potency anti-bothropic sera, previously classified by the traditional in vivo test, for assessing the antivenom capacity to protect the cells against B. jararaca venom cytotoxicity (5xEC50 = 58.95 μg/mL). We found that high potency sera are more effective in neutralizing B. jararaca venom cytotoxicity when compared to low potency sera, which is in accordance to their pre-determined in vivo potency. Considering sera in vitro inhibitory concentration able to prevent 50% cell death (IC50) and their known in vivo potency, a cut-off point was determined to discriminate low and high potency sera. Our data provide insights for the development of an in vitro method which can determine the anti-bothropic antivenom potency during its production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letícia Lopes-de-Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Costal-Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Stephanie Stransky
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Clara Guerra-Duarte
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, 30510-010, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Vania M M Braga
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
| | - Carlos Chávez-Olórtegui
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Williams HF, Layfield HJ, Vallance T, Patel K, Bicknell AB, Trim SA, Vaiyapuri S. The Urgent Need to Develop Novel Strategies for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Snakebites. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E363. [PMID: 31226842 PMCID: PMC6628419 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11060363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming (SBE) is a priority neglected tropical disease, which kills in excess of 100,000 people per year. Additionally, many millions of survivors also suffer through disabilities and long-term health consequences. The only treatment for SBE, antivenom, has a number of major associated problems, not least, adverse reactions and limited availability. This emphasises the necessity for urgent improvements to the management of this disease. Administration of antivenom is too frequently based on symptomatology, which results in wasting crucial time. The majority of SBE-affected regions rely on broad-spectrum polyvalent antivenoms that have a low content of case-specific efficacious immunoglobulins. Research into small molecular therapeutics such as varespladib/methyl-varespladib (PLA2 inhibitors) and batimastat/marimastat (metalloprotease inhibitors) suggest that such adjunctive treatments could be hugely beneficial to victims. Progress into toxin-specific monoclonal antibodies as well as alternative binding scaffolds such as aptamers hold much promise for future treatment strategies. SBE is not implicit during snakebite, due to venom metering. Thus, the delay between bite and symptom presentation is critical and when symptoms appear it may often already be too late to effectively treat SBE. The development of reliable diagnostical tools could therefore initiate a paradigm shift in the treatment of SBE. While the complete eradication of SBE is an impossibility, mitigation is in the pipeline, with new treatments and diagnostics rapidly emerging. Here we critically review the urgent necessity for the development of diagnostic tools and improved therapeutics to mitigate the deaths and disabilities caused by SBE.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Vallance
- School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UK.
| | - Ketan Patel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UK.
| | - Andrew B Bicknell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UK.
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Leiva CL, Cangelosi A, Mariconda V, Farace M, Geoghegan P, Brero L, Fernández-Miyakawa M, Chacana P. IgY-based antivenom against Bothrops alternatus: Production and neutralization efficacy. Toxicon 2019; 163:84-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Daboia (Vipera) palaestinae Envenomation in 123 Horses: Treatment and Efficacy of Antivenom Administration. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11030168. [PMID: 30893807 PMCID: PMC6468471 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11030168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Envenomation by venomous snakes is life threatening for horses. However, the efficacy of available treatments for this occurrence, in horses, has not yet been adequately determined. The aim of this study was to describe the treatments provided in cases of Daboia palaestinae envenomation in horses and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of antivenom administration. Data regarding 123 equine snakebite cases were collected over four years from 25 veterinarians. The majority of horses were treated with procaine-penicillin (92.7%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (82.3%), dexamethasone (81.4%), tetanus toxoid (91.1%) and antivenom (65.3%). The time interval between treatment and either cessation or 50% reduction of local swelling was linearly associated with case fatality (p < 0.001). The overall mortality rate was 20.3%. Treatment with procaine-penicillin was significantly associated with reduced mortality (OR = 0.11). Three horse-derived antivenom products were available during the study period, of which the horses were administered different brands of varying dosages. Administration of the recommended dosage of any of the aforementioned products led to a significant decrease in mortality (p = 0.014), even in severe cases (scoring 2 or greater on the equine snakebite severity scale). No adverse reactions were reported. The results of this study show that species-specific D. palaestinae antivenom administered at the manufacturer-recommended dosage is effective in significantly reducing mortality in cases of envenomation in horses.
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Berger M, de Moraes JA, Beys-da-Silva WO, Santi L, Terraciano PB, Driemeier D, Cirne-Lima EO, Passos EP, Vieira MAR, Barja-Fidalgo TC, Guimarães JA. Renal and vascular effects of kallikrein inhibition in a model of Lonomia obliqua venom-induced acute kidney injury. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007197. [PMID: 30763408 PMCID: PMC6392336 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lonomia obliqua venom is nephrotoxic and acute kidney injury (AKI) is the main cause of death among envenomed victims. Mechanism underlying L. obliqua-induced AKI involves renal hypoperfusion, inflammation, tubular necrosis and loss of glomerular filtration and tubular reabsorption capacities. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the contribution of kallikrein to the hemodynamic instability, inflammation and consequent renal and vascular impairment. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Addition of L. obliqua venom to purified prekallikrein and human plasma in vitro or to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in culture, was able to generate kallikrein in a dose-dependent manner. Injected in rats, the venom induced AKI and increased kallikrein levels in plasma and kidney. Kallikrein inhibition by aprotinin prevented glomerular injury and the decrease in glomerular filtration rate, restoring fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. The mechanism underlying these effects was associated to lowering renal inflammation, with decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinase expression, reduced tubular degeneration, and protection against oxidative stress. Supporting the key role of kallikrein, we demonstrated that aprotinin inhibited effects directly associated with vascular injury, such as the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and migration of VSMC induced by L. obliqua venom or by diluted plasma obtained from envenomed rats. In addition, kallikrein inhibition also ameliorated venom-induced blood incoagulability and decreased kidney tissue factor expression. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE These data indicated that kallikrein and consequently kinin release have a key role in kidney injury and vascular remodeling. Thus, blocking kallikrein may be a therapeutic alternative to control the progression of venom-induced AKI and vascular disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Berger
- Laboratório de Bioquímica Farmacológica, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA-UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências de Saúde: Ginecologia e Obstetrícia (PPGGO), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - João Alfredo de Moraes
- Laboratório de Biologia REDOX, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Walter Orlando Beys-da-Silva
- Laboratório de Bioquímica Farmacológica, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA-UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucélia Santi
- Laboratório de Bioquímica Farmacológica, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA-UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Paula Barros Terraciano
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências de Saúde: Ginecologia e Obstetrícia (PPGGO), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Embriologia e Diferenciação Celular, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA-UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - David Driemeier
- Departamento de Patologia Clínica Veterinária, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth Obino Cirne-Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências de Saúde: Ginecologia e Obstetrícia (PPGGO), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Embriologia e Diferenciação Celular, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA-UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Pandolfi Passos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências de Saúde: Ginecologia e Obstetrícia (PPGGO), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Laboratório de Embriologia e Diferenciação Celular, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA-UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Maria Aparecida Ribeiro Vieira
- Laboratório de Fisiologia Renal, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Thereza Christina Barja-Fidalgo
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jorge Almeida Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica Farmacológica, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA-UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular de Molecular (PPGBCM), Centro de Biotecnologia (Cbiot-UFRGS), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Kini RM, Sidhu SS, Laustsen AH. Biosynthetic Oligoclonal Antivenom (BOA) for Snakebite and Next-Generation Treatments for Snakebite Victims. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10120534. [PMID: 30551565 PMCID: PMC6315346 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10120534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming is a neglected tropical disease that each year claims the lives of 80,000–140,000 victims worldwide. The only effective treatment against envenoming involves intravenous administration of antivenoms that comprise antibodies that have been isolated from the plasma of immunized animals, typically horses. The drawbacks of such conventional horse-derived antivenoms include their propensity for causing allergenic adverse reactions due to their heterologous and foreign nature, an inability to effectively neutralize toxins in distal tissue, a low content of toxin-neutralizing antibodies, and a complex manufacturing process that is dependent on husbandry and procurement of snake venoms. In recent years, an opportunity to develop a fundamentally novel type of antivenom has presented itself. By using modern antibody discovery strategies, such as phage display selection, and repurposing small molecule enzyme inhibitors, next-generation antivenoms that obviate the drawbacks of existing plasma-derived antivenoms could be developed. This article describes the conceptualization of a novel therapeutic development strategy for biosynthetic oligoclonal antivenom (BOA) for snakebites based on recombinantly expressed oligoclonal mixtures of human monoclonal antibodies, possibly combined with repurposed small molecule enzyme inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Manjunatha Kini
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
| | - Sachdev S Sidhu
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada.
| | - Andreas Hougaard Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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Application of the 3R Concept in the Production of European Antiviperinum on Horses – Multisite, Low Volumes Immunization Protocol and Elisa. ACTA VET-BEOGRAD 2018. [DOI: 10.2478/acve-2018-0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
During time, both professionals and general public became aware of the importance of animal welfare. This term not only covers endangered wild animal species, animals used in food industry, pets and experimental animals, but also animals used in production of biologics. The implementation of the 3R concept (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) is especially important in this type of production. In this article, we describe for the first time the low dose, low volume and multi-site immunization protocol, as well as appropriate ELISA we developed for production of European anti-viper (V. ammodytes, long horned) antivenom in horses, which can help to significantly improve the welfare of the used animals.
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Cardoso FF, Borges RJ, Dreyer TR, Salvador GH, Cavalcante WL, Pai MD, Gallacci M, Fontes MR. Structural basis of phospholipase A2-like myotoxin inhibition by chicoric acid, a novel potent inhibitor of ophidian toxins. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2018; 1862:2728-2737. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Makran B, Fahmi L, Boussada L, Oukkache N, Chgoury F, Benomar H, Ghalim N, Lkhider M. Comparative toxicological characterization of venoms of Cerastes cerastes and Macrovipera mauritanica from Morocco and neutralization by monospecific antivenoms. TOXIN REV 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/15569543.2018.1540012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bouchra Makran
- Venoms and Toxins Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Morocco 1, Casablanca, Morocco
- Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Nutrition Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida, Morocco
| | - Laila Fahmi
- Venoms and Toxins Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Morocco 1, Casablanca, Morocco
- Biotechnology, Biochemistry and Nutrition Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida, Morocco
| | - Lotfi Boussada
- Animal Unity of The Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Naoual Oukkache
- Venoms and Toxins Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Morocco 1, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Fatima Chgoury
- Venoms and Toxins Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Morocco 1, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Hakima Benomar
- Anathomopathology Laboratory, Institut Pasteur of Morocco 1, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Noreddine Ghalim
- Venoms and Toxins Laboratory, Pasteur Institute of Morocco 1, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Mustapha Lkhider
- LNPISN, Faculty of Science and Technology, Mohammedia-Hassan II University, Mohammedia, Morocco
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Saganuwan SA. Determination of median effective dose (ED 50) of scorpion antivenom against scorpion envenomation using a newly developed formula. Animal Model Exp Med 2018; 1:228-234. [PMID: 30891569 PMCID: PMC6388075 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND About 50 species of scorpions cause fatal scorpionism worldwide. Most of these are members of the Buthidae family, and include, among others, Mesobuthus eupeus, Androctonus crassicauda, Leiurus abdullahbayrami, Leiurus quinquestriatus, Tityus pachyurus and Androctonus australis. Because high doses of scorpion venom and antivenom can cause death and hypersensitive reactions, there is a need to develop a formula that can be used to calculate both lethal and effective doses for scorpion venom and antivenom, respectively, thereby obviating the need for laboratory experiments. METHODS In view of this, a literature search was carried out with the aim of modifying the formula (LD 50 = ED 50 3 × W a × 10 - 4 ) for calculation of the median lethal dose (LD50) of scorpion venom and the ED50 of antivenom. The human equivalent dose (HED) formula was assessed for extrapolation of LD50 and ED50 from animals to human for comparison and relevance with the new formula. RESULTS The findings showed that the newly developed formula (LD50 = ED50 1/3 × W a × 10-4) yielded results that are very close to the reported values. Therefore, the newly developed and HED formulas can be used for calculation of LD50 and ED50 values for scorpion venom and antivenom, respectively. CONCLUSION The new formula yielded better results than the HED formula, confirming its predictive validity, precision, and reliability, thereby obviating the need for rigorous experiments and justifying the principles of reduction, refinement, and replacement (3Rs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Saganuwan Alhaji Saganuwan
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, Pharmacology and BiochemistryCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of AgricultureMakurdiBenue StateNigeria
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50
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León G, Vargas M, Segura Á, Herrera M, Villalta M, Sánchez A, Solano G, Gómez A, Sánchez M, Estrada R, Gutiérrez JM. Current technology for the industrial manufacture of snake antivenoms. Toxicon 2018; 151:63-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.06.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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