A New Anti-loxoscelic Serum Produced Against Recombinant Sphingomyelinase D: Results of Preclinical Trials

• Published in: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 79; no. 3; pp. 463 - 470
• Main Authors: de Almeida, Daniel Manzoni, Fernandes-Pedrosa, Matheus de F, de Andrade, Rute M. Goncalves, Marcelino, Jose Roberto, Gondo-Higashi, Hisako, de Azevedo, Inacio de L. M. Junqueira, Ho, Paulo Lee, van den Berg, Carmen, Tambourgi, Denise V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS ASTMH 01.09.2008; Allen Press
• Subjects: Animal poisons toxicology. Antivenoms; Animals; Antivenins - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Cross Reactions; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Horses; Humans; Immunochemistry; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Neutralization Tests; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases - immunology; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases - metabolism; Rabbits; Recombinant Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Spider Bites - therapy; Spider Venoms - antagonists & inhibitors; Spider Venoms - enzymology; Spider Venoms - immunology; Spiders - enzymology; Spiders - metabolism; Toxicology; South America; Brazil; America; Tropical medicine; Serum; Envenomation; Treatment
• ISSN: 0002-9637; 1476-1645
• DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2008.79.463

Envenomation by Loxosceles species (brown spider) can lead to local dermonecrosis and to serious systemic effects. The main toxic component in the venom of these spiders is sphingomyelinase D (SMase D) and various isoforms of this toxin are present in Loxosceles venoms. We have produced a new anti-loxoscelic serum by immunizing horses with recombinant SMase D. In the present study, we compared the neutralization efficacy of the new anti-loxoscelic serum and anti-arachnidic serum (the latter serum is used for therapy for loxoscelism in Brazil) against the toxic effects of venoms from spiders of the genus Loxosceles. Neutralization tests showed that anti-SMase D serum has a higher activity against toxic effects of L. intermedia and L. laeta venoms and similar or slightly weaker activity against toxic effects of L. gaucho than that of Arachnidic serum. These results demonstrate that recombinant SMase D can replace venom for anti-venom production and therapy.