scholarly journals In Vitro Neurotoxicity of Chinese Krait (Bungarus multicinctus) Venom and Neutralization by Antivenoms

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Qing Liang ◽  
Tam Minh Huynh ◽  
Yen Zhi Ng ◽  
Geoffrey K. Isbister ◽  
Wayne C. Hodgson
Keyword(s):  
Southern China ◽  
Rapid Onset ◽  
Physiological Salt Solution ◽  
Muscle Preparation ◽  
Contractile Responses ◽  
Neurotoxic Effects ◽  
Considerable Morbidity ◽  
Nerve Muscle ◽  
Time Point

Bungarus multicinctus, the Chinese krait, is a highly venomous elapid snake which causes considerable morbidity and mortality in southern China. B. multicinctus venom contains pre-synaptic PLA2 neurotoxins (i.e., β-bungarotoxins) and post-synaptic neurotoxins (i.e., α-bungarotoxins). We examined the in vitro neurotoxicity of B. multicinctus venom, and the efficacy of specific monovalent Chinese B. multicinctus antivenom, and Australian polyvalent elapid snake antivenom, against venom-induced neurotoxicity. B. multicinctus venom (1–10 μg/mL) abolished indirect twitches in the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation as well as attenuating contractile responses to exogenous ACh and CCh, but not KCl. This indicates a post-synaptic neurotoxic action but myotoxicity was not evident. Given that post-synaptic α-neurotoxins have a more rapid onset than pre-synaptic neurotoxins, the activity of the latter in the whole venom will be masked. The prior addition of Chinese B. multicinctus antivenom (12 U/mL) or Australian polyvalent snake antivenom (15 U/mL), markedly attenuated the neurotoxic actions of B. multicinctus venom (3 μg/mL) and prevented the inhibition of contractile responses to ACh and CCh. The addition of B. multicinctus antivenom (60 U/mL), or Australian polyvalent snake antivenom (50 U/mL), at the t90 time point after the addition of B. multicinctus venom (3 μg/mL), did not restore the twitch height over 180 min. The earlier addition of B. multicinctus antivenom (60 U/mL), at the t20 or t50 time points, also failed to prevent the neurotoxic effects of the venom but did delay the time to abolish twitches based on a comparison of t90 values. Repeated washing of the preparation with physiological salt solution, commencing at the t20 time point, failed to reverse the neurotoxic effects of venom or delay the time to abolish twitches. This study showed that B. multicinctus venom displays marked in vitro neurotoxicity in a skeletal muscle preparation which is not reversed by antivenom. This does not appear to be related to antivenom efficacy, but due to the irreversible/pseudo-irreversible nature of the neurotoxins.

scholarly journals An Examination of the Neutralization of In Vitro Toxicity of Chinese Cobra (Naja atra) Venom by Different Antivenoms

Biomedicines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Liang ◽  
Tam Minh Huynh ◽  
Nicki Konstantakopoulos ◽  
Geoffrey K. Isbister ◽  
Wayne C. Hodgson
Keyword(s):  
Southern China ◽  
In Vitro Toxicity ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Muscle Preparation ◽  
Concentration Dependent Manner ◽  
Cytotoxic Effects ◽  
Contractile Responses ◽  
Nerve Muscle ◽  
Naja Atra

The Chinese Cobra (Naja atra) is an elapid snake of major medical importance in southern China. We describe the in vitro neurotoxic, myotoxic, and cytotoxic effects of N. atra venom, as well as examining the efficacy of three Chinese monovalent antivenoms (N. atra antivenom, Gloydius brevicaudus antivenom and Deinagkistrodon acutus antivenom) and an Australian polyvalent snake antivenom. In the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation, N. atra venom (1–10 µg/mL) abolished indirect twitches in a concentration-dependent manner, as well as abolishing contractile responses to exogenous acetylcholine chloride (ACh) and carbamylcholine chloride (CCh), indicative of post-synaptic neurotoxicity. Contractile responses to potassium chloride (KCl) were also significantly inhibited by venom indicating myotoxicity. The prior addition of Chinese N. atra antivenom (0.75 U/mL) or Australian polyvalent snake antivenom (3 U/mL), markedly attenuated the neurotoxic actions of venom (3 µg/mL) and prevented the inhibition of contractile responses to ACh, CCh, and KCl. The addition of Chinese antivenom (0.75 U/mL) or Australian polyvalent antivenom (3 U/mL) at the t90 time point after the addition of venom (3 µg/mL), partially reversed the inhibition of twitches and significantly reversed the venom-induced inhibition of responses to ACh and CCh, but had no significant effect on the response to KCl. Venom (30 µg/mL) also abolished direct twitches in the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation and caused a significant increase in baseline tension, further indicative of myotoxicity. N. atra antivenom (4 U/mL) prevented the myotoxic effects of venom (30 µg/mL). However, G. brevicaudus antivenom (24 U/mL), D. acutus antivenom (8 U/mL) and Australian polyvalent snake antivenom (33 U/mL) were unable to prevent venom (30 µg/mL) induced myotoxicity. In the L6 rat skeletal muscle myoblast cell line, N. atra venom caused concentration-dependent inhibition of cell viability, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2.8 ± 0.48 μg/mL. N. atra antivenom significantly attenuated the cytotoxic effect of the venom, whereas Australian polyvalent snake antivenom was less effective but still attenuated the cytotoxic effects at lower venom concentrations. Neither G. brevicaudus antivenom or D. acutus antivenom were able to prevent the cytotoxicity. This study indicates that Chinese N. atra monovalent antivenom is efficacious against the neurotoxic, myotoxic and cytotoxic effects of N. atra venom but the clinical effectiveness of the antivenom is likely to be diminished, even if given early after envenoming. The use of Chinese viper antivenoms (i.e., G. brevicaudus and D. acutus antivenoms) in cases of envenoming by the Chinese cobra is not supported by the results of the current study.

scholarly journals Effect of Indian Polyvalent Antivenom in the Prevention and Reversal of Local Myotoxicity Induced by Common Cobra (Naja naja) Venom from Sri Lanka In Vitro

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 308
Author(s):  
Umesha Madhushani ◽  
Prabhani Thakshila ◽  
Wayne C. Hodgson ◽  
Geoffrey K. Isbister ◽  
Anjana Silva
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Time Scale ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Cellular Injury ◽  
Muscle Preparation ◽  
Naja Naja ◽  
Target Sites ◽  
Lag Period ◽  
Nerve Muscle

Bites by many Asiatic and African cobras (Genus: Naja) cause severe local dermonecrosis and myonecrosis, resulting in permanent disabilities. We studied the time scale in which two Indian polyvalent antivenoms, VINS and Bharat, remain capable of preventing or reversing in vitro myotoxicity induced by common cobra (Naja naja) venom from Sri Lanka using the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation. VINS fully prevented while Bharat partially prevented (both in manufacturer recommended concentrations) the myotoxicity induced by Naja naja venom (10 µg/mL) when added to the organ baths before the venom. However, both antivenoms were unable to reverse the myotoxicity when added to organ baths 5 and 20 min post-venom. In contrast, physical removal of the venom from the organ baths by washing the preparation 5 and 20 min after the venom resulted in full and partial prevention of the myotoxicity, respectively, indicating the lag period for irreversible cellular injury. This suggests that, although the antivenoms contain antibodies against cytotoxins of the Sri Lankan Naja naja venom, they are either unable to reach the target sites as efficiently as the cytotoxins, unable to bind efficiently with the toxins at the target sites, or the binding with the toxins simply fails to prevent the toxin-target interactions.

scholarly journals Interactions of Vecuronium and Atracurium in an In Vitro Nerve-Muscle Preparation

1988 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 240???246 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. L. Van Der Spek ◽  
J. T. Zupan ◽  
B. J. Pollard ◽  
M. A. Schork
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Preparation ◽  
Nerve Muscle

IN VITRO SCREENING OF LANNEA COROMANDELICA FOR ANTIFILARIAL ACTIVITY ON CATTLE FILARIAL PARASITE SETARIA CERVI

INDIAN DRUGS ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 51 (08) ◽  
pp. 28-34
Author(s):  
T. Kumar ◽  
◽  
A Sahu ◽  
V Jain
Keyword(s):  
Ethyl Acetate ◽  
Aqueous Extract ◽  
Ethyl Acetate Extract ◽  
Muscle Preparation ◽  
Setaria Cervi ◽  
Lannea Coromandelica ◽  
Nerve Muscle ◽  
Antifilarial Activity ◽  
Ethyl Acetate Extracts

The current study was aimed to investigate the antifilarial activity of aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts of the leaves of Lannea coromandelica. Both extracts were screened for their total flavonoid content chromatographically. The total amount of flavonoid present in ethyl acetate is much greater than in aqueous extract. Aqueous extract produced initial stimulation effect in whole worm followed by reversible paralysis, whereas on the nerve muscle preparation, the effect was depressant. In the same manner ethyl acetate extract produces irreversible paralysis. The concentrations required to inhibit the movement of the whole worm and nerve muscle preparation for aqueous extract of leaves of L. coromandelica were 300 and 60 µg/mL, respectively, whereas ethyl acetate extract caused inhibition of the whole worm and nerve muscle preparation at 160 and 15 µg/mL, respectively. LC50 and LC90 were 21 and 30 ng/mL, respectively for aqueous, which were 16 and 24 ng/mL for ethyl acetate extracts.

scholarly journals The Diversity of Root-Associated Endophytic Fungi from Four Epiphytic Orchids in China

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 197
Author(s):  
Tao Wang ◽  
Miao Chi ◽  
Ling Guo ◽  
Donghuan Liu ◽  
Yu Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endophytic Fungi ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Culture Method ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Mycorrhizal Symbiosis ◽  
Epiphytic Orchids ◽  
Culture Independent ◽  
Almost All

Root-associated endophytic fungi (RAF) are found asymptomatically in almost all plant groups. However, little is known about the compositions and potential functions of RAF communities associated with most Orchidaceae species. In this study, the diversity of RAF was examined in four wild epiphytic orchids, Acampe rigida, Doritis pulcherrima, Renanthera coccinea, and Robiquetia succisa, that occur in southern China. A culture-independent method involving Illumina amplicon sequencing, and an in vitro culture method, were used to identify culturable fungi. The RAF community diversity differed among the orchid roots, and some fungal taxa were clearly concentrated in a certain orchid species, with more OTUs being detected. By investigating mycorrhizal associations, the results showed that 28 (about 0.8%) of the 3527 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) could be assigned as OMF, while the OTUs of non-mycorrhizal fungal were about 99.2%. Among the OMFs, Ceratobasidiaceae OTUs were the most abundant with different richness, followed by Thelephoraceae. In addition, five Ceratobasidium sp. strains were isolated from D. pulcherrima, R. succisa, and R. coccinea roots with high separation rates. These culturable Ceratobasidium strains will provide materials for host orchid conservation and for studying the mechanisms underlying mycorrhizal symbiosis.

scholarly journals Schistosoma mansoni eggs induce Wnt/β-catenin signaling and activate the protooncogene c-Jun in human and hamster colon

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Weglage ◽  
Friederike Wolters ◽  
Laura Hehr ◽  
Jakob Lichtenberger ◽  
Celina Wulz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Colorectal Carcinogenesis ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Interleukin 4 ◽  
Health Burden ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Considerable Morbidity ◽  
First Time

AbstractSchistosomiasis (bilharzia) is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms of the genus Schistosoma, with considerable morbidity in parts of the Middle East, South America, Southeast Asia, in sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly also in Europe. The WHO describes an increasing global health burden with more than 290 million people threatened by the disease and a potential to spread into regions with temperate climates like Corsica, France. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of S. mansoni infection on colorectal carcinogenic signaling pathways in vivo and in vitro. S. mansoni infection, soluble egg antigens (SEA) and the Interleukin-4-inducing principle from S. mansoni eggs induce Wnt/β-catenin signaling and the protooncogene c-Jun as well as downstream factor Cyclin D1 and markers for DNA-damage, such as Parp1 and γH2a.x in enterocytes. The presence of these characteristic hallmarks of colorectal carcinogenesis was confirmed in colon biopsies from S. mansoni-infected patients demonstrating the clinical relevance of our findings. For the first time it was shown that S. mansoni SEA may be involved in the induction of colorectal carcinoma-associated signaling pathways.

Insulin-induced endothelin release and vasoreactivity in hypertriglyceridemic and hypertensive rats

1999 ◽  
Vol 277 (1) ◽  
pp. H399-H404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar Nava ◽  
Verónica Guarner ◽  
Rosalinda Posadas ◽  
Israel Pérez ◽  
Guadalupe Baños
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Receptor Antagonist ◽  
Wistar Rats ◽  
Receptor Blocker ◽  
Hypertensive Rats ◽  
Contractile Responses ◽  
Femoral Arteries ◽  
Male Wistar Rats

Insulin-elicited endothelin release in hypertriglyceridemic, hypertensive, hyperinsulinemic (HTG) rats was shown. Weanling male Wistar rats were given 30% sucrose in their drinking water for 20–24 wk. In vitro contractions of aorta and femoral arteries were elicited with 40 mM KCl. Endothelin release induced with KCl plus 50 μU/ml insulin resulted in increases in contractile responses: 41 ± 5.9 and 57 ± 6% for control and 65.5 ± 6 and 95 ± 9% for HTG aortas and femoral arteries, respectively. The endothelin ETB-receptor blocker BQ-788 decreased responses to KCl + insulin by 39 ± 8 and 53 ± 5% in control and 48 ± 13 and 79 ± 3.5% in HTG aortas and femoral arteries, respectively. The ETA-receptor antagonist PD-151242 inhibited these responses by 12 ± 10 and 1 ± 9% in control and by 51.5 ± 9 and 58.5 ± 1% in HTG aortas and femoral arteries, respectively. These results suggest that endothelin may contribute to the hypertension in this model.

scholarly journals Astrocytes Are More Vulnerable than Neurons to Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticle Toxicity in Vitro

Toxics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Jorge Humberto Limón-Pacheco ◽  
Natalie Jiménez-Barrios ◽  
Alejandro Déciga-Alcaraz ◽  
Adriana Martínez-Cuazitl ◽  
Mónica Maribel Mata-Miranda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Silicon Dioxide ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Brain Cell ◽  
Attenuated Total Reflection ◽  
Random Coil ◽  
Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles ◽  
Neurotoxic Effects ◽  
Α Helix

Some studies have shown that silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) can reach different regions of the brain and cause toxicity; however, the consequences of SiO2-NPs exposure on the diverse brain cell lineages is limited. We aimed to investigate the neurotoxic effects of SiO2-NP (0–100 µg/mL) on rat astrocyte-rich cultures or neuron-rich cultures using scanning electron microscopy, Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), FTIR microspectroscopy mapping (IQ mapping), and cell viability tests. SiO2-NPs were amorphous particles and aggregated in saline and culture media. Both astrocytes and neurons treated with SiO2-NPs showed alterations in cell morphology and changes in the IR spectral regions corresponding to nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. The analysis by the second derivative revealed a significant decrease in the signal of the amide I (α-helix, parallel β-strand, and random coil) at the concentration of 10 µg/mL in astrocytes but not in neurons. IQ mapping confirmed changes in nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids in astrocytes; cell death was higher in astrocytes than in neurons (10–100 µg/mL). We conclude that astrocytes were more vulnerable than neurons to SiO2-NPs toxicity. Therefore, the evaluation of human exposure to SiO2-NPs and possible neurotoxic effects must be followed up.

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