Abstract
Background:
Naja atra is a venomous snake species medically relevant in
China. In the current study, we evaluated the composition and toxicological
profile of venom collected from farm-raised N. atra.
Methods:
Venom was collected from third-generation captive bred N.
atra on a snake farm in Hunan Province, China. The venom was
analyzed using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and
nano-liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass
spectrometry. In addition, hemolytic activity, median lethal dose, serum
biochemical and histopathological parameters were accessed.
Results:
N. atra venom proteome was dominated by phospholipase
A2 (46.5%) and three-finger toxins (41.4 %), and a set of
common low relative abundance proteins, including cysteine-rich secretory
proteins (4.7%), NGF-beta (2.4%), snake venom metalloproteinase (1.5%),
glutathione peroxidase (0.6%), vespryn (0.3%), and 5ʹ-nucleotidases (0.2%)
were also found. Furthermore, the venom exhibited direct hemolytic activity,
neurotoxicity, myotoxicity, and high lethal potency in mice, with a
subcutaneous median lethal dose of 1.02 mg/kg. Histopathological analysis
and serum biochemical tests revealed that venom caused acute hepatic,
pulmonary and renal injury in mice.
Conclusion:
This study revealed the composition and toxicity of venom collected from
farm-raised N. atra, thereby providing a reference for the
analysis of venom samples collected from captive-born venomous snakes in the
future.
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