ABSTRACT
Some results obtained during our research work in the search of anti-snake compounds from plant origin, allow us to propose sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) as a valuable method for a fast and reliable screening in order to evaluate plant extracts activity on snake proteins from Bothrops diporus (yarará chica). Such approach will allow to process a larger number of plant extracts and to select the active ones. Venoms used in this study came from B. diporus which was previously vacuum dried. Extracts (aqueous, alcoholic and hexanic) were from native plants: Aristolochia elegans, Aristolochia gibertii, Asclepia curassavica, Cissampelos pareira, Dorstenia brasiliensis, Eclipta prostrata, Iresine diffusa, Mikania micrantha, M. periplocifolia, M. coridifolia, Nectandra angustifolia, N. megapotamica, Sapium haematospermum and Trixis divaricata. The results obtained by SDS-PAGE were compared with those obtained from in vitro assays (coagulation and hemolysis inhibition). The correlation between results obtained from electroforetic and in vitro assays allowed to suggest SDS-PAGE as a suitable technique to assist in preliminary plant screenings for anti-snake activity by snake venom protein interaction with plant compounds.
El desarrollo de nuestro trabajo de investigación en la búsqueda de compuestos alexíteros de origen vegetal nos permite proponer la electroforesis en geles de poliacrilamida en condiciones desnaturalizantes, como método de screening rápido y confiable, para evaluar la actividad de extractos vegetales sobre proteínas del veneno de yarará, de manera de procesar mayor número de muestras vegetales y seleccionar aquellas que son activas. Para el desarrollo de la metodología, se utilizó un pool de veneno de Bothrops diporus desecado al vacío y extractos acuosos, alcohólicos y hexánicos de plantas autóctonas Aristolochia elegans, A. gibertii, Asclepia curassavica, Cissampelos pareira, Dorstenia brasiliensis, Eclipta prostrata, Iresine diffusa, Mikania micrantha, M. periplocifolia, M. coridifolia, Nectandra angustifolia, N. megapotamica, Sapium haematospermum y Trixis divaricata. Se realizaron pruebas in vitro (inhibición de la coagulación y hemólisis) para contrastar con los resultados obtenidos por SDS-PAGE. La correlación de los resultados obtenidos con técnicas in vitro validadas, permite sugerir el empleo de la técnica de SDS-PAGE como una herramienta útil en la evaluación preliminar de la actividad alexítera de extractos vegetales, propiedad evidenciada por la modificación en el perfil de bandas proteicas cuando se compara el veneno puro con el producto de la interacción extracto vegetal-veneno.
Subject(s)
Antivenins/pharmacology , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel/methods , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Snake Venoms , BothropsABSTRACT
Bothrops snake venoms have been proved toxic to a variety of cell types, in both in vivo and in vitro models. Studies on the pharmacological actions of Bothrops venoms from Argentina are relatively secarce and the direct action of the crude venoms has not been assessed using cell culture models. In this work, we investigated the cytotoxicity of crude venoms from B. alternatus and B. diporus in a skeletal muscle (C2C12) cell line, which is commonly used as a model for studying the myotoxic action of snake venom. Both venoms (1.25-50 miug/mL) induced an early and significant decrease in cell viability. The cytotoxic concentration 50 (CC50), determined three hours after exposure, revealed that B. diporus venom was significantly more cytotoxic (CC50: 2 miug/mL) than B. aftematus (CC50: 5.8 miug/mL). To investigate the cell death mechanism involved, myoblast cells were examined by phase contrast microscopy and after acridine orange and ethidium bromide fluorescence staining, respectively. Our data clearly demonstrated that an apoptotic mediated this cell line destruction. The current study aimed to provide new information on the citotoxicity meohanisms of Argentine Bothrops snake venoms on a skeletal muscle cell line