In vivo synergy of cardiotoxin and phospholipase A 2 from the elapid snake Naja mossambica mossambica

Abstract

P. E. Bougis, P. Marchot and H. Rochat. In vivo synergy of cardiotoxin and phospholipase A 2 from the elapid snake Naja mossambica mossambica. Toxicon 25, 427 – 431, 1987. — The lethality of elapid snake venoms is due to toxic polypeptides which are α-neurotoxins, phospholipases A 2 and cardiotoxins. In contrast to α-neurotoxins, less is known about the mode of action of phospholipases A 2 and cardiotoxins at a cellular and molecular level, although it has been demonstrated that the hemolytic effect of cardiotoxin and its action on muscle can be accelerated in vitro by phospholipase A 2. Here we show that when mice are injected i.v. with phospholipase A 2, a significant decrease in survival time is observed if a sub- ld 50 amount of cardiotoxin is injected simultaneously. Furthermore, the survival time is drastically reduced when phospholipase A 2 (2.3 ld 50) is injected first, followed 15 min later by doses of cardiotoxin as small as 0.18 ld 50. These results strongly suggest a synergy between the two polypeptides.