Snake venom is a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, enzymes, carbohydrates, and minerals. They contain a variety of chemicals with pharmacological and toxicological properties. The innate immune system is the first line of defense against toxins and microbes. Antibacterial and anticancer proteins produced by snake venom have recently attracted significant attention due to their relevance to...

Rabbit antiserum against purified Electrophorus electricus acetylcholine receptor is studied using an immunoprecipitin assay to measure either antibody titer or concentration of toxin-binding sites in solubilized receptor preparations. This antiserum, unlike control serum, blocks the electrophysiological response of the electroplax to carbamylcholine. Toxin (alpha-neurotoxin, Naja naja) and sev...

1. The choline dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.99.1) WAS SOLUBILIZED FROM ACETONE-DRIED POWDERS OF RAT LIVER MITOCHONDRIA BY TREATMENT WITH Naja naja venom. 2. The kinetics of the reaction of enzyme with phenazine methosulphate and ubiquinone-2 as electron acceptors were investigated. 3. With both electron acceptors the reaction mechanism appears to involve a free, modified-enzyme intermediate. 4. With s...

The venoms from central Asian snakes (Echis carinatus, Echis multisquamatus, Vipera ursini, Vipera lebetina, Agkistrodon halys halys and Naja naja oxiana) contain several enzymes with amidolytic- and procoagulant activity. We have characterized the activities and the mol. wts of the venom enzymes that are able to convert a number of commercially available chromogenic substrates for activated co...

Naja naja atra venom (NNAV) is composed of various proteins, peptides, and enzymes with different biological and pharmacological functions. A number of previous studies have reported that NNAV exerts potent analgesic effects on various animal models of pain. The clinical studies using whole venom or active components have confirmed that NNAV is an effective and safe medicine for treatment of ch...

Nerve growth factors (NGF's) were purified from mouse submaxillary gland, guinea pig prostate gland, bovine seminal plasma, and venom of Naja naja atra, and their biochemical and immunological properties were compared. The NGF's from the four sources stimulated the maximal response of nerve fiber outgrowth from chick dorsal root ganglia at 10 ng/ml. Two-site enzyme immunoassay (ETA) systems for...

Sarcocystis nesbitti is an intracellular protozoan parasite found as sarcocysts within muscle fibers of intermediate hosts (monkey and baboon). The definitive host is suspected to be the snake. We report two cases from a larger cohort of 89 patients who had fever, headache, and generalized myalgia after a trip to Pangkor Island, Malaysia. Sarcocysts were detected in skeletal muscle biopsy speci...

Snake bite was known as one of the most important public health concerns world wild. Respiratory and cardiac problems and destruction of endothelium system occurs as a result of snake bite. Some proteins and peptides in snake venom have potential for drug discovery studies. According to the important role of cell adhesion and angiogenesis in cancer development, identification of new therapeutic...

The effects of tourniquet application were prospectively studied in 36 hospitalized patients who developed neurotoxic symptoms after bites by the Philippine cobra (Naja naja philippinensis). Tourniquets had been applied in 94% of cases and delayed the onset of symptoms. Four patients were asymptomatic prior to the release of their tourniquet and in 11 patients symptoms worsened precipitously. M...