Neutralisation of the clotting activity of Australian snake venoms by snake plasma

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) Vol. 38; no. 12; pp. 1855 - 1858
• Main Authors: Smith, A, Marshall, L.R, Mirtschin, P.J, Jelinek, G.A
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2000; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animal poisons toxicology. Antivenoms; Animals; Antivenins - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Blood clotting; Blood Coagulation - drug effects; Coagulants; Elapid Venoms - antagonists & inhibitors; Elapid Venoms - pharmacology; Elapidae - blood; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Inhibition; Medical sciences; Notechis scutatus; Oxyuranus scutellatus; Prothrombin - metabolism; Pseudonaja; Pseudonaja textilis; Snake venom; Species Specificity; Toxicology; Australia; Oceania; Blood clotting; Snake venom; Inhibition; Human; Blood coagulation; Vertebrata; Antivenom; Venom; Animal origin; Hemopathy; Reptilia; In vitro; Coagulopathy; Ophidia; Neutralization
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/S0041-0101(99)00235-4

Plasmas from Pseudonaja textilis and Notechis scutatus were tested in vitro for their ability to neutralise the procoagulant activity, in human plasma, of nine elapid venoms. Pseudonaja textilis plasma inhibited the procoagulant activity of all Pseudonaja species and in one taipan ( Oxyuranus scutellatus). However there was no inhibitory activity against any from the Notechis species. Plasma from Notechis scutatus exhibited no inhibitory activity against any Notechis species, including self, only weak inhibition against the Pseudonaja species and, again, total inhibition of Oxyuranus scutellatus. Thus, protection of a species from the effects of its own venom does not appear to be universal.