Hematological values of some Bothrops species (Ophidia - Crotalidae) in captivity

Blood samples of 50 healthy specimens from each of the following species: Bothrops alternatus, Bothrops jararacussu, Bothrops moojeni, and Bothrops neuwiedi diporus all kept in captivity were taken to determine the hematocrit (PCV) value, red blood cell count (RBC), total leukocyte (WBC) and differential leukocyte count, thrombocyte count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hemoglobin concentration (HbC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). These hematological parameters were compared to those obtained from other Bothrops species. PCV values, RBC, hemoglobin, WBC count, and differential leukocyte count are within the range of values reported for other Bothrops species, while the thrombocyte count was significantly lower. All the hematological parameters obtained from the four studied Bothrops species were higher than those described for B. ammodytoides.

The immunochemical reactivity and neutralizing capacity of polyvalent Vipera (European) antivenom on enzymatic and toxic activities in the venoms of Crotalids from Argentina

The immunochemical reactivity and neutralizing capacity of polyvalent Vipera antivenom (Vipera ammodytes, Vipera aspis, Vipera berus, Vipera lebetina, and Vipera xanthina) were tested on the enzymatic and biological activities of Crotalus durissus terrificus and the following Bothrops venoms from Argentina (Bothrops alternatus, Bothrops ammodytoides, Bothrops neuwiedii, Bothrops jararaca, Bothrops jararacussu, and Bothrops moojeni). The Vipera antivenom reacted weakly when tested by double immunoprecipitation (DIP) and reacted with all the venoms when tested by ELISA. Several components in all the venoms studied were recognized in Western blots. Vipera antivenom deactivated to different degrees in vitro procoagulant, (indirect) hemolytic, and proteolytic activities in all the venoms studied. Preincubation of Bothrops alternatus venom with Vipera antivenom neutralized a lethal potency of 4.5 LD50 in mice with an ED50 of 1.25 ñ 0.25 µl per µg of venom, and with 1.0 µl/µg inhibited 54 per cent of the hemorragic activity and 48 per cent of necrotic activity. Vipera antivenom (2.0 µl per µg toxin) inhibited the phospholipase A2 activity of purified crotoxin and decreased its lethal potency by 60 per cent, while the neutralizing capacity on the lethal potency of crude Crotalus durissus terrificus venom was poor even at a level of 5.0 µl/µg of venom.

Resistencia de Crotalus durissus terificus y Bothrops neuwiedii a la neurotoxidad de cantidades masivas de veneno crotalico. / Resistance of Crotalus durissus terrificus and Bothrops neuwiedii to neurotoxicity of massive quantities of Crotalid vevenom

Especimenes de Crotalus durissus terrificus y de Bothrops neuwiedii toleran cantidades de veneno crotalico equivalentes a 5 x 10 elevado a menos 4 de su peso.La tolerancia observada puede explicarse por la presencia en el suero de ambas especies de componente (s) capaces de inactivar crotoxina, la neurotoxina mayor del veneno crotalico. La potencia antitoxica del suero antitoxica del suero de C. d. terrificus frente al veneno crotalico es similar a la del suero antiofidico monovalente obtenido de caballo hiperinmune, mientras que la potencia antitoxica del suero de B. neuwiedii es de alredor del 20% del de este ultimo. Los sueros de ambas especies en concentraciones adequadas son capaces de de proteger al raton frente a 4 LD 50 de veneno crotalico. La ausencia de lineas de precipitacion en ensayo de doble difusion de suero frente a veneno sugiere que los factores antitoxicos de ambas especies no son inmunoglobulinas. Es probable que la crotoxina sea neutralizada por la formacion de complexos inactivos con componentes especificos del suero. La resistencia al veveno no es reciproca, ya que especimenes de C.d. terrificus mueren luego de la inyeccion de cantidades de veneno de B.neuwiedii que son perfectamente toleradas por la especie dadora