Presynaptic action of Bothriopsis bilineata smargadina (forest viper) venom in vitro

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) 2011-07, Vol.58 (1), p.140-145
• Main Authors: Rodrigues-Simioni, Léa, Floriano, Rafael Stuani, Rostelato-Ferreira, Sandro, Sousa, Norma Cristina, Marangoni, Sergio, Ponce-Soto, Luis Alberto, Carregari, Victor Corasolla, Hyslop, Stephen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acetylcholine; Acetylcholine - pharmacology; Animal poisons toxicology. Antivenoms; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Bothriopsis bilineata smargadina; carbachol; Carbachol - pharmacology; Chickens; creatine kinase; Creatine Kinase - metabolism; Diaphragm - drug effects; Diseases of striated muscles. Neuromuscular diseases; forests; In Vitro Techniques; Medical sciences; membrane potential; Membrane Potentials - drug effects; Mice; Muscle Contraction - drug effects; muscles; Neurology; Neuromuscular blockade; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents - pharmacology; Neuromuscular Junction - drug effects; Phospholipase A2; Phrenic Nerve - drug effects; potassium chloride; Presynaptic; Snake venom; Synaptic Transmission - drug effects; Toxicology; venoms; Viper Venoms - pharmacology; Viperidae; washing
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2011.05.002

In this work, we examined the neuromuscular activity of Bothriopsis bilineata smargadina (forest viper) venom in vertebrate isolated nerve-muscle preparations. In chick biventer cervicis preparations the venom caused concentration-dependent (0.1–30μg/ml) neuromuscular blockade that was not reversed by washing, with 50% blockade occurring in 15–90min. Muscle contractures to exogenous acetylcholine and KCl were unaffected by venom, but there was a slight increase in creatine kinase release after 120min (from 80±15 to 206±25U/ml, n=6, p