Pathophysiology due to snakebite is a combined effect of various actions of the complex venom constituents. Importance of protein toxins in snake envenomation is well known. The present investigation reports the existence of nonprotein/nonpetide low molecular weight toxin in Indian King Cobra venom, which plays an important role in envenomation consequences in experimental animal models. A grou...

In the present study an ELISA assay was developed and validated for detection determination of concentration snakes venom in biological samples. Individual component each (Cerastes cerastes Macrovipera mauretanica) used as immunogen to raise specific rabbit IgGs order set up a sandwich-type ELISA. Lower limit, linearity, accuracy, precision, reproducibility, reference intervals were determined....

Complement plays a critical role in the development of tissue injury in systemic lupus erythematosus. The B6.MRL/lpr mouse, an autoimmune prone mouse, exhibits accelerated and intensified tissue injury in the ischemia/reperfusion (IR) model. It has been demonstrated in nonautoimmune mice that inhibition of complement attenuates inflammatory tissue injury in IR models. The role of complement is ...

Heparin and heparan sulfate have recently been shown to bind to snake cardiotoxin (CTX) and to potentiate its penetration into phospholipid monolayer under physiological ionic conditions. Herein we analyze the heparin-binding domain of CTX using 10 CTXs from Taiwan and African cobra venom. We also performed computer modeling to obtain more information of the binding at molecular level. The resu...

We evaluated the in vitro opsonophagocytic killing activity of monoclonal human immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA specific for Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide and the in vivo protective capacity in neutropenic mice of both monoclonal and purified polyclonal IgG, IgM, and IgA. Monoclonal IgM was efficacious in mediating opsonophagocytic killing only in conjunction with complement, w...

Intravascular activation of the complement system with cobra venom factor results in acute lung injury, which has been quantitated by increases in lung vascular permeability. Cobra venom factor preparations devoid of phospholipase A2 activity retain full lung-damaging capacity. The lung injury is associated with the preceding appearance of chemotactic activity in the serum coincident with the d...

The venom of the spitting cobra, Naja naja sputatrix contains highly potent alpha-neurotoxins (NTXs) in addition to phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and cardiotoxin (CTX). In this study, we report the complete characterization of three genes that are responsible for the synthesis of three isoforms of alpha-NTX in the venom of a single spitting cobra. DNA amplification by long-distance polymerase chain r...

Carboxypeptidase R (CPR) is a heat-labile enzyme found in serum in addition to stable carboxypeptidase N. CPR cleaves the C-terminal basic amino acids, arginine and lysine, from inflammatory peptides such as complement C3a and C5a, bradykinin, and enkephalin. This enzyme is generated from procarboxypeptidase R (proCPR), also known as thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor, following cleava...

The synthesis of a naphthylvinyl-labeled glycerol ether analog of phosphatidylcholine, 1-O-[12-(2-naphthyl)-dodec-11-enyl]-2-O-decanoyl-sn-glycerol-3- phosphocholine (NVPC), is described. This involves a Wittig reaction between 2-naphthaldehyde and a phosphonium salt which gives the trans-naphthylvinyl group as the predominant isomer. Lyso NVPC was prepared from NVPC by phospholipase A2 action....