Proteomics, toxicity and antivenom neutralization of Sri Lankan and Indian Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) venoms

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 C 18 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 A 2 (PLA 2 ) 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, LD 50 = 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.

Biochemical and proteomic analyses of venom from a new pit viper, Protobothrops kelomohy

“…Hematotoxic snake envenoming causes consumption coagulopathy, and consequently can be life-threatening in severe cases [45]. Toxin compositions in snake venoms vary by genera, species, age, sex and geography [44,[46][47][48][49]. The venom proteome of PKV presented a majority of protease, SVMP and SVSP, which are related to coagulophic effects such as hemorrhagic, fibrinogenolytic and prothrombin-activating activities [50][51][52].…”

Evaluation of the properties of Bungarus caeruleus venom and checking the efficacy of antivenom used in Bangladesh for its bite treatment

“…Pathophysiological consequences of snake bites include the activity of various enzymes, proteins, and peptides, including phospholipases A 2 , metalloproteases, and other proteolytic enzymes ( Markland, 1997 ). Toxins from snakes have a wide range of functions ( Faisal et al, 2021 ). Phospholipases A 2 are a broad superfamily of proteins that have hydrolytic activity against phospholipids and can cleave fatty acids in the second position specifically.…”

“…Neutralizing efficacy of the antivenom was expressed as median effective dose (ED 50 , the antivenom dose (μL) at which 50% of mice survived), estimated by probit analysis ( Maduwage et al, 2016a ). Neutralization capacity can also be expressed as Median effective ratio (ER 50 ) which is the ratio of the amount of venom (mg) to the volume dose of antivenom (ml) at which 50% of mice survived ( Faisal et al, 2021 ). The neutralization potency (P) of antivenom, defined as the amount of venom completely neutralized per unit volume of antivenom (mg/mL), was calculated accordingly as Morais V et al ( Morais et al, 2010 )…”

Neutrophil Gelatinase–Associated Lipocalin Acts as a Robust Early Diagnostic Marker for Renal Replacement Therapy in Patients with Russell’s Viper Bite–Induced Acute Kidney Injuries

“…Further studies are required to confirm whether NGAL can be used as a biomarker for AKI developing from the bites of other snake species in different countries. It is also important to ascertain whether NGAL can be used as a marker for Russell's viper bites from different regions within [42] and outside of India such as Myanmar and Sri Lanka as intra-specific and regional variations were found in their venom compositions, especially in specimens that were found outside of India [43,44]. The minimum cut-off values of plasma NGAL may also differ among different ethnic groups living in geographically diverse areas.…”