ANTISERUM TO MYOTOXIN FROM PRAIRIE RATTLESNAKE (CROTALUS-VIRIDIS-VIRIDIS) VENOM

C. L. Ownby, W. M. Woods and G. V. Odell. Antiserum to myotoxin from prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) venom. Toxicon 17, 373-380. 1979.-A myotoxic component was isolated from rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) venom and an antibody to it was produced in rabbits. Gel-filtration and cation exchange chromatography were used to fractionate the crude venom and two components were shown to be locally myotoxic using an in vivo assay. One of these components, fraction 3 of the Sephadex cation exchange column, was shown to be homogeneous by electrophoresis. This purified myotoxin was injected into rabbits, and when the resulting antiserum was reacted with the myotoxin in agar-gel double-diffusion plates, one precipitin line was formed. Anti-myotoxin serum reacted with only 2 of 14 crude venoms forming one precipitin line to both C. v. viridis and C. durissus terrificus. The line which formed against these two crude venoms was identical to the one that formed against myotoxin indicating the presence in C. d. terrificus venom of a component immunologically very similar to myotoxin from C. v. viridis venom. It is postulated that this component might be crotamine, a known myotoxic component in C. d. terrificus venom. Antibodies to myotoxin could not be detected in Wyeth's polyvalent Crotalidae antivenin although at least one antibody to crude C. v. viridis venom was present. It is possible that antiserum to pure myotoxin could prevent the local myonecrosis induced by the pure myotoxin, crude C. v. viridis venom and perhaps by other crotalid venoms. © 1979.