De Novo Assessment and Review of Pan-American Pit Viper Anticoagulant and Procoagulant Venom Activities via Kinetomic Analyses
Review published in Toxins (2019)
Abstract
Snakebite with hemotoxic venom continues to be a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Our laboratory has characterized the coagulopathy that occurs in vitro in human plasma via specialized thrombelastographic methods to determine if venoms are predominantly anticoagulant or procoagulant in nature. Further, the exposure of venoms to carbon monoxide (CO) or O-phenylhydroxylamine (PHA) modulate putative heme groups attached to key enzymes has also provided mechanistic insight into the multiple different activities contained in one venom. The present investigation used these techniques to characterize fourteen different venoms obtained from snakes from North, Central, and South America. Further, we review and present previous thrombelastographic-based analyses of eighteen other species from the Americas. Venoms were found to be anticoagulant and procoagulant (thrombin-like activity, thrombin-generating activity). All prospectively assessed venom activities were determined to be heme-modulated except two, wherein both CO and its carrier molecule were found to inhibit activity, while PHA did not affect activity (Bothriechis schlegelii and Crotalus organus abyssus). When divided by continent, North and Central America contained venoms with mostly anticoagulant activities, several thrombin-like activities, with only two thrombin-generating activity containing venoms. In contrast, most venoms with thrombin-generating activity were located in South America, derived from Bothrops species. In conclusion, the kinetomic profiles of venoms obtained from thirty-two Pan-American Pit Viper species are presented. It is anticipated that this approach will be utilized to identify clinically relevant hemotoxic venom enzymatic activity and assess the efficacy of locally delivered CO or systemically administered antivenoms.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
De Novo Assessment and Review of Pan-American Pit Viper Anticoagulant and Procoagulant Venom Activities via Kinetomic Analyses.
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
Esta revisión y estudio prospectivo de laboratorio caracterizó las actividades coagulopáticas (anticoagulante, trombina-símil y generadora de trombina) de treinta y dos venenos de vipéridos panamericanos mediante métodos tromboelastográficos en plasma humano, y evaluó si el monóxido de carbono o la O-fenilhidroxilamina modulan los supuestos grupos hemo presentes en las enzimas del veneno. Los venenos de Norteamérica y Centroamérica fueron predominantemente anticoagulantes con algunas actividades trombina-símil, mientras que las especies de Bothrops sudamericanas mostraron principalmente actividad generadora de trombina; casi todas las actividades evaluadas fueron moduladas por hemo. Para el ámbito de ASH, la relevancia es indirecta: el estudio examina enzimas de veneno de serpiente con actividades trombina-símil o generadoras de trombina, que están conceptualmente relacionadas con los inhibidores de trombina derivados de la sanguijuela, como la hirudina, pero son biológicamente distintas. No intervienen sanguijuelas, componentes del secretoma de la sanguijuela ni la hirudoterapia. El estudio combina trabajo de laboratorio in vitro con revisión, sin relación directa con la práctica clínica de la hirudoterapia.
Citación
De Novo Assessment and Review of Pan-American Pit Viper Anticoagulant and Procoagulant Venom Activities via Kinetomic Analyses
Nielsen VG et al. · Toxins, 2019
Contexto clínico relacionado
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Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: May 27, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: 18 de junio de 2026