Propriedades Biológicas e Moleculares do Veneno da Serpente Micrurus surinamensis (Cuvier, 1817; Elapidae).

Abstract

Micrurus surinamensis, the aquatic coral snake species, has distribution in Amazonian rain forest. Your venom is neurotoxic to mammals and mainly fishes, principal natural feed. Studies about biological properties and biotechnological potential from M. surinamensis venom are necessaries to obtain dates to medical and sorotherapy treatment applications and to new drugs development. Using uni and bidimensional electrophoresis techniques were detected proteins with 7-70 kDa molecular masses range, 42 spots (12-70 kDa) with pI 4-7 and 38 spots (12-17 kDa) with pI 7-11. In vitro, venom showed very low phospholipases A2 activity that was inhibited 100% by Brazilian antielapidic Butantan Institute antivenom. Zymogram method not showed proteolytic activity in M. surinamensis venom. Plasma recalcification time with 80 μg venom suggests cascade coagulation inhibitors toxins in the venom, but in vivo test (in mice) venom not induced systemic hemorrhage and plasma anticoagulant activities. Venom LD50 was 700 μg / kg. Intracranial injection of the venom showed in mice apnea, uni and bilateral palpebral ptosis, jumps with short periods of immobility, compulsive itch and spasmodic contractions, but with 4 μg venom doses was observed convulsion and death shock. Competitive antibody-antigen interaction studies by western blot test showed that Brazilian antielapidic Butantan Institute antivenom has high antibodies title against 14 kDa neurotoxins but very low antibodies title against < 10 kDa neurotoxins. Antivenom potency against M. surinamensis venom was 0,35 mg/mL, five times low to neutralizing M. frontalis venom (1,5 mg/mL). This result suggests more molecular and clinical studies to including or not venom of M. surinamensis for antielapidic antivenom production.