Envenoming by the Brazilian pit viper, Bothrops jararaca, induces extensive local and systemic haemorrhage in humans. The severe and occasionally lethal outcome of envenoming is prevented only by administration of antivenom which is conventionally prepared by hyperimmunization of large animals with an individual venom or a range of venoms. Since snake venoms typically consist of numerous molecu...

The contribution of disseminated fibrin clot formation to the pathogenesis of canine endotoxin shock was explored in control dogs and in those defibrinated with a purified fraction of Malayan pit viper venom. The hemodynamic and humoral responses after the administration of an intravenous challenge dose of Escherichia coli endotoxin were comparable as was mortality. It is concluded that, althou...

Snake venoms affect blood coagulation and platelet function in a complex manner. However, two classes of venom proteins, snaclecs and disintegrins have been shown to specifically target receptors including GPIb, α2β1, GPVI, CLEC-2 and integrins αIIbβ3, αvβ3, α5β1 expressed on platelets, endothelial cells, phagocytes, tumor cells, thus affecting cell-matrices and cell-cell interactions. Here, we...

Ophidian envenomation accidents constitute a serious public health problem in many countries around the globe. Over 5 million such accident cases occur each year causing more than 100,000 deaths. In Africa, more than 20,000 deaths per year are registered while 400,000 envenomation victims retain severe and permanent functional sequelae. In Morocco, snakebites are frequent and of greater severit...

Snake venoms are known to contain a number of enzymes (l-3). Attempts have been made to correlate the toxicity of snake venoms with their enzymic activity, e.g. between nucleases and toxicity (4), phospholipase A and neurotoxic action of cobra venom (5), and proteolytic and coagulant activity and toxicity (6-8). Most of these studies have been carried out on whole venoms or after elimination of...

This report describes a method of preparing samples of phosphodiesterase suitable for some chemical studies of desoxyribonucleic acid. A study of the use of purified phosphodiesterase in hydrolyzing thymonucleic acid has already been made (1). The source of our phosphodiesterase (snake venoms) was suggested by the work of Gulland and Jackson (2), although it now seems to us that their conclusio...

Snake bite envenoming, mainly caused by the saw-scaled or carpet viper (Echis ocellatus), is a neglected disease of West Africa. Specific antivenoms can save life and limb but, for various reasons, supply of these essential drugs to Africa has dwindled to less than 2% of estimated requirements. Other problems include maldistribution, inadequate conservation and inappropriate clinical use of ant...

Caryospora simplex is reported for the first time from the feces of a captive female Kaznakov's viper (Vipera kaznakovi) in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA). Coccidian meronts and gamonts were observed in the intestinal epithelial cells of another female Kaznakov's viper that died in October 1993.

This report describes a method of preparing samples of phosphodiesterase suitable for some chemical studies of desoxyribonucleic acid. A study of the use of purified phosphodiesterase in hydrolyzing thymonucleic acid has already been made (1). The source of our phosphodiesterase (snake venoms) was suggested by the work of Gulland and Jackson (2), although it now seems to us that their conclusio...

Angiostatin is a plasminogen-derived anti-angiogenic factor composed of its first four kringle structures. This molecule is generated by proteolytic cleavage of plasminogen by some proteolytic enzymes in vitro. Since venoms of viper snakes are a rich source of both serine- and metalloproteinase, we hypothesized that angiostatin-like polypeptides could be generated during the envenomation after ...