Detection and neutralization of venom by ovine antiserum in experimental envenoming by Bothrops jararaca

Abstract

In this study we optimized an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to evaluate bothropic venom levels in biological samples. These samples were obtained by two distinct protocols. In the first one, Swiss mice were injected with 1 LD50 of Bothrops jararaca (B. jararaca) venom and 15 minutes later, animals were treated with ovine antibothropic serum. Blood and spleen homogenate samples were obtained 6 hours after antiserum therapy. Ovine antibothropic serum significantly neutralized venom levels in serum and spleen. In the second protocol, BALB/c mice were injected with 1 LD50 of bothropic venom by either intraperitoneal (IP) or intradermal (ID) route and venom levels were evaluated 1, 3 and 6 hours after, in blood, spleen homogenates and urine. Serum and splenic venom levels were significantly higher in animals envenomed by IP route comparing with animals envenomed by ID route. Higher venom levels were also detected in urine samples from animals envenomed by IP route. However, these differences were not statistically significant. These results demonstrated that the optimized ELISA was adequate to quantify venom levels in different biological samples. This assay could, therefore, substitute the in vivo neutralizing assay and also be useful to evaluate the severity of human and experimental envenomations

Detecting animal by-product intake using stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS)

“…Globally, ruminants, especially cattle, buffaloes, goats and sheep, are responsible for the production of 30% of the meat and 100% of the milk available for human consumption. 1 In addition, sheep, cattle and buffaloes are still used for the production of biopharmaceuticals (Peres et al, 2006;Barros et al, 2009;Lavonas et al, 2011;Ferreira, 2014;Abbade et al, 2015).…”

“…Sheep are an important part of the global agricultural economy and their biological products are of interest for manufacturing bioproducts such as antivenoms (Peres et al, 2006;Lavonas et al, 2011). However, these products may pose risks to human health because of the possible transmission of spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also termed prion diseases (PDs), which can be transmitted via the intake of animal by-product proteins (ABPs; Bencsik and Baron, 2011;Marruchella et al, 2012).…”

Comparative assay of Vipera ammodytes antivenom potency

“…One of the most used and aged antivenom potency assessing method is based on the injection in the animal experiment bodies of a significant venom-antivenom mixture and interpolation of the 50% survival animal 1,3,7,8,10,11 . Another way is represented by immunoenzymatic method for the assay of antivenom potency [11][12][13][14] . In these cases, antivenom potency is directly articulated on venom unit quantity but, as it is already well known, even the venom of the same snake species differs (sometime substantially) in theirs biological and toxicological properties.…”