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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Venomous Landmines: Clinical Implications of Extreme Coagulotoxic Diversification and Differential Neutralization by Antivenom of Venoms within the Viperid Snake Genus Bitis
Toxins, Vol.11(7), pp.1-20
2019
PMID: 31331004
Abstract
The genus Bitis comprises 17 snake species that inhabit Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. They are responsible for a significant proportion of snakebites in the region. The venoms of the two independent lineages of giant Bitis (B. arietans and again in the common ancestor of the clade consisting of B. gabonica, B. nasicornis, B. parviocula and B. rhinoceros) induce an array of debilitating effects including anticoagulation, hemorrhagic shock and cytotoxicity, whilst the dwarf species B. atropos is known to have strong neurotoxic effects. However, the venom effects of the other species within the genus have not been explored in detail. A series of coagulation assays were implemented to assess the coagulotoxic venom effects of fourteen species within the genus. This study identified procoagulant venom as the ancestral condition, retained only by the basal dwarf species B. worthingtoni, suggesting anticoagulant venom is a derived trait within the Bitis genus and has been secondarily amplified on at least four occasions. A wide range of anticoagulant mechanisms were identified, such as coagulant and destructive activities upon fibrinogen in both giant and dwarf Bitis and the action of inhibiting the prothrombinase complex, which is present in a clade of dwarf Bitis. Antivenom studies revealed that while the procoagulant effects of B. worthingtoni were poorly neutralized, and thus a cause for concern, the differential mechanisms of anticoagulation in other species were all well neutralized. Thus, this study concludes there is a wide range of coagulotoxic mechanisms which have evolved within the Bitis genus and that clinical management strategies are limited for the procoagulant effects of B. worthingtoni, but that anticoagulant effects of other species are readily treated by the South African polyvalent antivenom. These results therefore have direct, real-work implications for the treatment of envenomed patients.
Details
- Title
- Venomous Landmines: Clinical Implications of Extreme Coagulotoxic Diversification and Differential Neutralization by Antivenom of Venoms within the Viperid Snake Genus Bitis
- Authors
- Nicholas J Youngman (Author) - The University of QueenslandJordan S Debono (Author) - The University of QueenslandJames S Dobson (Author) - The University of QueenslandChristina N Zdenek (Author) - The University of QueenslandRichard Harris - The University of QueenslandBianca op den Brouw (Author) - The University of QueenslandFrancisco C. P. Coimbra (Author) - The University of QueenslandArno Naude (Author) - Snakebite Assist (South Africa)Kristian Coster (Author) - UniverseumEric Sundman (Author) - UniverseumRalph Braun (Author) - Serpentarium Calden (Germany)Iwan Hendrikx (Author) - The University of QueenslandBryan G Fry (Corresponding Author) - The University of Queensland
- Publication details
- Toxins, Vol.11(7), pp.1-20
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Date published
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.3390/toxins11070422
- ISSN
- 2072-6651
- PMID
- 31331004
- Copyright note
- © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Organisation Unit
- Centre for Bioinnovation
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991177843702621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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