Highly purified acidic (pI 4.9) and basic (pI 8.7) phospholipases A2 from snake (Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii) venom hydrolyzed approximately 20% and 60%, respectively, of the phosphatidylcholine (PC) of intact human erythrocytes prior to hemolysis. Sequential use of the acidic enzyme followed by the basic phospholipase A2 or vice versa manifested a characteristic PC hydrolysis pattern. For exa...

To investigate the pharmacological and toxicological actions of purified snake enzymatic cream (PSE) isolated from Agkistrodon Halys Venom, erythematous dermatitis was induced by applying dinitrofluorobenezene (DNFB) on the back skin of guinea pigs. Consequent local alterations at different doses of PSE were observed and compared using negative control methods. In skin irritation and acute toxi...

Antivenin activity of melanin extracted from black tea (MEBT) was reported for the first time. The antagonistic effect of MEBT was evaluated for Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus (broadbanded copperhead), Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii (Japanese mamushi), and Crotalus atrox (western diamondback rattlesnake) snake venoms administered i.p. to ICR mice. MEBT was injected i.p. immediately after the ...

Adinbitor was cloned from Agkistrodon halys brevicaudus stejneger and characterized as a novel disintegrin. In this study, total RNA was extracted from venom gland and used in RT-PCR to generate a cDNA which is 219 bp long. The sequence encoded a polypeptide composed of 73 amino acids, including 12 cysteines, an RGD motif, and the signature motif of disintergrin. Recombinant Adinbitor (rAdinbit...