Paraspecificity of Vipera a. ammodytes-specific antivenom towards Montivipera raddei and Macrovipera lebetina obtusa venoms

Abstract

Antivenom raised against the venom of nose-horned viper, Vipera ammodytes (V. a.) ammodytes (European viper venom antiserum, Zagreb antivenom), contains neutralising equine F(ab')₂ fragments that are clinically successful against homologous venom, but also against the venoms of several others medically important European snakes due to its paraspecific action. In this work we demonstrated that Zagreb antivenom is preclinically effective in neutralising lethal toxicity and hemorrhagicity of venoms of Armenian mountain snakes--Montivipera raddei and Macrovipera lebetina obtusa as well. In order to better understand the biochemical basis of the observed paraspecificity, the ability of anti-V. a. ammodytes serum to recognise and neutralise proteinases of the two venoms was also investigated. Anti-V. a. ammodytes serum showed surprisingly low capacity to inhibit metalloproteinases of both venoms included in the study, probably due to weak immunorecognition of their P-I representatives. Also, it completely failed to abolish enzymatic action of serine proteinases from Macrovipera lebetina obtusa venom. Relevance of such finding is yet to be established.

Keywords: Macrovipera lebetina obtusa; Montivipera raddei; Paraspecificity; Snake venom metalloproteinases; Snake venom serine proteinases; Zagreb antivenom.