Cobra Research Articles

Accident and emergency: no tailor-made solutions

Those who have read Kipling will readily recall his tale of the mongoose Rikkitikki-tavi, and of his war with the great cobra Nag. Few, however, will recall the role played in the conflict by Darzee, the tailor-bird

ADDITIONS TO THE SNAKE FAUNA OF SOUTHERN LAOS, WITH THE SECOND LAOTIAN SPECIMEN OF Naja siamensis (LAURENTI, 1768) AND THE FIRST COUNTRY RECORD OF Oligodon taeniatus (GÜNTHER, 1861) (SQUAMATA, SERPENTES)

A small, recent collection of reptiles from Pakse and from Xepian National Biodiversity and Conservation Area, Champasak Province, southern Laos, contains the second Laotian specimen of the Indochinese spitting Cobra, Naja siamensis (Laurenti, 1768). This species was previously known from this country from a single specimen observed in Savannakhet Province, in the north of Central Laos. This second specimen, the first one to have been preserved for this country, is described in details. It shows a pattern slightly different from the first Laotian specimen. This new specimen confirms the occurrence of this medically important species in different parts of the Mekong valley. A juvenile specimen of Oligodon taeniatus (Gunther, 1861) proves the first voucher specimen of this species recorded from Laos. Specimens previously cited from the Vientiane area as Oligodon taeniatus proved to belong either to Oligodon mouhoti (Boulenger, 1914) or to an unidentified taxon. The list of snake species known from Champasak Province is updated; it currently includes 37 snake species.

Isolation and cloning of a metalloproteinase from king cobra snake venom

A 50 kDa fibrinogenolytic protease, ohagin, from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah was isolated by a combination of gel filtration, ion-exchange and heparin affinity chromatography. Ohagin specifically degraded the alpha-chain of human fibrinogen and the proteolytic activity was completely abolished by EDTA, but not by PMSF, suggesting it is a metalloproteinase. It dose-dependently inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP, TMVA and stejnulxin. The full sequence of ohagin was deduced by cDNA cloning and confirmed by protein sequencing and peptide mass fingerprinting. The full-length cDNA sequence of ohagin encodes an open reading frame of 611 amino acids that includes signal peptide, proprotein and mature protein comprising metalloproteinase, disintegrin-like and cysteine-rich domains, suggesting it belongs to P-III class metalloproteinase. In addition, P-III class metalloproteinases from the venom glands of Naja atra, Bungarus multicinctus and Bungarus fasciatus were also cloned in this study. Sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis indicated that metalloproteinases from elapid snake venoms form a new subgroup of P-III SVMPs.

Risk Factors of Surgical Intervention in the Management of Venomous Snakebite in Northern Taiwan

Venomous snakebites are not uncommon in Taiwan, and the snake venom causes both systemic and local effects. Petechiae, edema, swelling, ecchymosis, necrosis of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, and necrotizing fasciitis could be seen locally, and surgical intervention may be needed to deal with these problems. However, functional impairment and limb loss were still sometimes inevitable. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 118 patients bitten by venomous snakes from Jan. 1999 to Dec. 2004, and risk factors of surgical intervention were studied. The relationship of the need of surgical intervention and snake species, clinical grading, symptoms, and other associating factors were analyzed. Surgery was needed in 16 of 118 patients(13.5%)bitten by venomous snakes, 7 by Taiwan cobra, 5 by Taiwan habu, 1 by green habu, 1 by hundred pacer, and 2 by unknown snake. Risk factors of surgical intervention were Taiwan cobra snakebite(7/14)and delayed given of antivenom. Taiwan cobra snakebite was found with higher risk of local necrosis and infection. Therefore, more surgical interventions were needed in this group of patients, and early antivenom given and broad spectrum antibiotics coverage were recommended

Potent histamine-releasing activity of atrahagin, a novel snake venom metalloproteinase

Poisonous snakebite wound is a popular disease worldwide. However, the pathogenesis remains unclear. In the present study, a novel metalloproteinase atrahagin in Chinese cobra ( Naja atra) snake venom was purified, using heparin–sepharose followed by Superdex 75 gel filtration chromatography. Apart from its α-fibrinogenase activity, atrahagin potently activated human colon, lung and tonsil mast cells with the net histamine release being 25.9 ± 4.4, 17.0 ± 1.9, 13.2 ± 3.6%, respectively. Time course studies revealed that the peak histamine release induced by atrahagin occurred at 12, 12 and 8 min following incubation of the enzyme with colon, lung and tonsil mast cells, respectively. The response of mast cells to atrahagin was abolished by preincubation of the cells with metabolic inhibitors or pertussis toxin, and by removal of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ from the challenge buffer. In conclusion, activation of human mast cells by atrahagin indicated that the enzyme might contribute to the pathogenesis of snakebite wound.

Effect of heme oxugenase-1 on delayed xenograft rejection: experiment of guinea pig-to-rat liver xenotransplantation

To investigate the effects and mechanism of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in liver xenotransplantation and mechanism thereof. Thirty male guinea-pigs used as donors were injected intravenously with cobra venom factor (CVF) and then randomly divided into 3 groups 24 hours after: Group A injected intraperineally with NaCl, Group B injected intraperineally with cobalt-protoporphyrin (CoPP), heme oxygenase-1 inducer, and Group C injected intraperineally with CoPP and zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), HO-1 inhibitor zinc before their livers were harvested. Thirty male SD rats used as recipients underwent the above-mentioned treatment 24 hours before receiving the xenografts. Five pairs of guinea pigs and rats in each group underwent collection of blood and liver tissues 3 hours after the recovery of blood perfusion in the transplanted livers for detection of serum enzymes by biochemical methods and expression of HO-1 mRNA and protein in the transplanted livers by RT-PCR and Western blotting respectively. The other 5 pairs in each group were used to observe the survival time. The survival time of Group B was 15.5 h +/- 3.8 h, significantly longer than those of Group A (7.3 h +/- 2.1 h) and Group C (6.7 h +/- 2.9 h, both P < 0.01). The values of ALT and LDH of Group B were significantly lower than those of Group A and C (all P < 0.05). HOI-1 mRNA expression was not detected or only expressed in trace amount in the livers of normal guinea pigs, expressed in a small amount in the transplanted livers of Group A. The expression of HO-1 mRNA and that of HO-1 protein in the transplanted livers of Group B were significantly higher than those of Group A (both P < 0.01), and the expression of HO-1 mRNA and that of HO-1 protein in the transplanted livers of Group C were not significantly different from those of Group A (both P > 0.05). Remarkable NF-kB band was detected in Groups A and C, and only weak NF-kB band was seen in Group B. The E-selectin expression was significantly lower in the transplanted livers of Group B than in those of Group A and C (both P < 0.05). HO-1 delays the occurrence of delayed xenograft rejection in liver xenotransplantation. This effect depends, at least in part, on HO-1-mediated inhibition of endothelium activation in xenografts.

Mechanisms of purified cobra venom factor in preventing hyperacute rejection following discordant liver xenotransplantation in rats

To investigate the mechanisms of purified cobra venom factor (CVF) in preventing hyperacute rejection (HAR) and prolonging recipient survival following discordant liver xenotransplantation in rats. All animals were divided into two groups, group I (n = 20), unmodified recipients as control; group II (n = 20), xenograft recipients were treated with 50 microg/kg CVF i.v. on day-1. The pathologic changes of liver were observed and TNF-alpha of blood serum was detected. Recipient survival after CVF treatment is significantly prolonged compared with unmodified recipients (1.8 +/- 0.6 vs.7.4 +/- 2.1 h, P < 0.01). Histologically, widespread thrombosis, interstitial haemorrhage, C3 deposits on sinusoids and central veins characterized xenografts of the control group. Xenografts of the CVF group showed endothelium swelling and cellular infiltrate, no deposit of C3 was detected. Purified CVF can prevent guinea pig-to-rat liver xenografts from HAR and extend recipient survival. Preconditioning with CVF, guinea pig-to-rat combination is a useful life-supporting model to explore further mechanisms of discordant liver xenotransplantation.

An ultra wideband “cobra” patch antenna

An ultra wideband patch antenna is presented in which the moment method is used to analyse and optimise a patch antenna, the final optimised patch antenna looking like a cobra snake. It is therefore referred to as ‘cobra patch antenna’. The antenna has an ultra wideband VSWR performance and relatively good gain, no input balun, and is easy and cheap to manufacture. It could be useful in wireless communication, and in EMC and antenna measurements.

Interaction of the P-type cardiotoxin with phospholipid membranes.

The cardiotoxin (cytotoxin II, or CTII) isolated from cobra snake (Naja oxiana) venom is a 60-residue basic membrane-active protein featuring three-finger beta sheet fold. To assess possible modes of CTII/membrane interaction 31P- and 1H-NMR spectroscopy was used to study binding of the toxin and its effect onto multilamellar vesicles (MLV) composed of either zwitterionic or anionic phospholipid, dipalmitoylglycerophosphocholine (Pam2Gro-PCho) or dipalmitoylglycerophosphoglycerol (Pam2Gro-PGro), respectively. The analysis of 1H-NMR linewidths of the toxin and 31P-NMR spectral lineshapes of the phospholipid as a function of temperature, lipid-to-protein ratios, and pH values showed that at least three distinct modes of CTII interaction with membranes exist: (a) nonpenetrating mode; in the gel state of the negatively charged MLV the toxin is bound to the surface electrostatically; the binding to Pam2Gro-PCho membranes was not observed; (b) penetrating mode; hydrophobic interactions develop due to penetration of the toxin into Pam2Gro-PGro membranes in the liquid-crystalline state; it is presumed that in this mode CTII is located at the membrane/water interface deepening the side-chains of hydrophobic residues at the tips of the loops 1-3 down to the boundary between the glycerol and acyl regions of the bilayer; (c) the penetrating mode gives way to isotropic phase, stoichiometrically well-defined CTII/phospholipid complexes at CTII/lipid ratio exceeding a threshold value which was found to depend at physiological pH values upon ionization of the imidazole ring of His31. Biological implications of the observed modes of the toxin-membrane interactions are discussed.

The Legend of the Rockhills and Other Stories, and: The Remains of the Last Emperor, and: Bulletin from the Land of the Living Ghosts: Romance in the Reign of Commander Cobra (review)

The Legend of the Rockhills and Other Stories, and: The Remains of the Last Emperor, and: Bulletin from the Land of the Living Ghosts: Romance in the Reign of Commander Cobra (review)

Hematology, morphology, cytochemical staining, and ultrastuctural characteristics of blood cells in king cobras (Ophiophagus hannah).

King cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) have been captive-bred at Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute since 1996 to supply venom for antivenom production. Hematologic tests would be useful for evaluating the health of the snakes, however, basic hematologic data and morphology have not been described for this species. The purpose of this study was to determine basic hematologic values and evaluate light microscopic, cytochemical, and electron microscopic characteristics of king cobra blood cells. Blood samples from 13 wild-caught and 15 captive-bred king cobras were collected into EDTA from the ventral caudal vein. A CBC was done using standard methods. Significant differences between groups were determined using t-tests. Cytochemical stains (periodic acid-Schiff [PAS], Sudan black B [SBB], alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase [ANAE], acid phosphatase [AcP], and beta-glucuronidase [beta-glu]), and scanning and transmission electron microscopy were done using standard techniques. Eighteen snakes (64.3%) were positive for Hepatozoon infection. Hepatozoon organisms were detected nearly twice as frequently in wild-caught (11/13) as in captive-bred (7/15) snakes. Total WBC, azurophil, and lymphocyte counts were higher and fibrinogen concentration was lower in Hepatozoon-positive snakes. Captive-bred snakes had higher RBC values, lower azurophil, heterophil, and punctate reticulocyte percentages, and higher lymphocyte numbers compared with wild-caught snakes. Lymphocytes were the most commonly observed WBCs, and stained positive with PAS, ANAE, AcP, and beta-glu. Azurophil granules stained positive with SBB, PAS, and ANAE. Heterophils were the largest WBCs; their granules stained with SBB, ANAE, and beta-glu. Basophil granules stained with PAS, SBB, ANAE, and beta-glu. Thrombocytes were strongly positive with PAS. Transmission electron microscopic examination revealed organelles within all WBCs except eosinophils and revealed the gamonts of Hepatozoon sp in RBCs and azurophils. These results provide comparative hematologic data and a guide for identification of blood cells in wild-caught and captive-bred king cobra snakes. Hepatozoon infection was relatively common, but was not associated with severe hematologic abnormalities.

COBRA, Spouse Coverage, and Health Insurance Decisions of Older Households

Abstract No abstract available.

Coupling reaction and properties of poly(ethylene glycol)-linked phospholipases A2.

Secretory phospholipases A2 (PLA2) from Naja naja naja (cobra snake) venom, from Bothrops neuwiedii (crotalid snake) venom (two isoforms) and from bee venom were modified with tresylated monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (TMPEG). The kinetic and inflammatory properties of the adducts (PEG-PLA2) were measured. As found by gel permeation chromatography, 95-100% of P-1 PLA2 from B. neuwiedii and PLA2 from N. naja naja venom change their chromatographic mobility after TMPEG treatment. By contrast, only 50-60% of both P-3-PLA2 from B. neuwiedii and PLA2 from bee venom modify their elution profile from Superdex 75. All the modified proteins preserved the enzymatic activity toward phospholipid monolayers, but with a reduced specific activity and greater lag times than the unmodified controls. These results suggest that the PEG-PLA2 complexes would have an altered interaction with lipid membranes. The PEG-linked proteins preserve their edema-inducing activity evaluated by the rat hind-paw edema test except for N. naja naja PEG-PLA2 in which inflammatory activity was significatively decreased. Altogether, the results show a partial dissociation of catalytic and inflammatory activities of Group II and III secretory PLA2s after their modification with PEG.

MCB University Press is pleased to support the RICS COBRA and Cutting Edge Conferences

MCB University Press is pleased to support the RICS COBRA and Cutting Edge Conferences

Complete amino acid sequence of kaouthiagin, a novel cobra venom metalloproteinase with two disintegrin-like sequences.

The primary structure of kaouthiagin, a metalloproteinase from the venom of the cobra snake Naja kaouthia which specifically cleaves human von Willebrand factor (VWF), was determined by amino acid sequencing. Kaouthiagin is composed of 401 amino acid residues and one Asn-linked sugar chain. The sequence is highly similar to those of high-molecular mass snake venom metalloproteinases from viperid and crotalid venoms comprised of metalloproteinase, disintegrin-like, and Cys-rich domains. The metalloproteinase domain had a zinc-binding motif (HEXXHXXGXXH), which is highly conserved in the metzincin family. Kaouthiagin had an HDCD sequence in the disintegrin-like domain and uniquely had an RGD sequence in the Cys-rich domain. Metalloproteinase-inactivated kaouthiagin had no effect on VWF-induced platelet aggregation but still had an inhibitory effect on the collagen-induced platelet aggregation with an IC(50) of 0.2 microM, suggesting the presence of disintegrin-like activity in kaouthiagin. To examine the effects of these HDCD and RGD sequences, we prepared synthetic peptides cyclized by an S-S linkage. Both the synthetic cyclized peptides from the disintegrin-like domain and from the Cys-rich domain) had an inhibitory effect on collagen-induced platelet aggregation with IC(50) values of approximately 90 and approximately 4.5 microM, respectively. The linear peptide (RAAKHDCDLPELC) and the cyclized peptide had little effect on collagen-induced platelet aggregation. These results suggest that kaouthiagin not only inhibits VWF-induced platelet aggregation by cleaving VWF but also disturbs the agonist-induced platelet aggregation by both the disintegrin-like domain and the RGD sequence in the Cys-rich domain. Furthermore, our results imply that the corresponding part of the Cys-rich domain in other snake venom metalloproteinases also has a synergistic disturbing effect on platelet aggregation, serving as a second disintegrin-like domain. This is the first report of an elapid venom metalloproteinase with two disintegrin-like sequences.

MCB University Press is pleased to support the RICS COBRA and Cutting Edge Conferences

MCB University Press is pleased to support the RICS COBRA and Cutting Edge Conferences

Development of a polymerase chain reaction to distinguish monocellate cobra (Naja khouthia) bites from other common Thai snake species, using both venom extracts and bite-site swabs

A PCR technique was used in this study to identify and distinguish monocellate cobra snake bites using snake venoms and swab specimens from snake bite-sites in mice from bites by other common Thai snakes. The sequences of nucleotide primers were selected for the cobrotoxin-encoding gene from the Chinese cobra (Naja atra) since the sequences of monocellate cobra (Naja kaouthia) venom are still unknown. However, the 113-bp fragment of cDNA of the cobrotoxin-encoding gene was detected in the monocellate cobra venom using RT-PCR. This gene was not found in the venoms of Ophiophagus hannah (king cobra), Bungarus fasciatus (banded krait), Daboia russelii siamensis (Siamese Russell's Viper, and Calloselasma rhodostoma (Malayan pit viper). Moreover, direct PCR could detect a 665-bp fragment of the cobrotoxin-encoding gene in the monocellate cobra venom but not the other snake venoms. Likewise, this gene was only observed in swab specimens from cobra snake bite-sites in mice. This is the first report demonstrating the ability of PCR to detect the cobrotoxin-encoding gene from snake venoms and swab specimens. Further studies are required for identification of this and other snakes from the bite-sites on human skin.

Membrane binding motif of the P-type cardiotoxin

Carditoxins (CTXs) from cobra snake venoms, the basic 60–62 residue all-beta sheet polypeptides, are known to bind to and impair the function of cell membranes. To assess the membrane induced conformation and orientation of CTXs, the interaction of the P-type cardiotoxin II from Naja oxiana snake venom (CTII) with perdeuterated dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) was studied using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and diffusion measurements. Under conditions where the toxin formed a well-defined complex with DPC, the spatial structure of CTII with respect to the presence of tightly bound water molecules in loop II, was calculated using the torsion angle dynamics program DYANA. The structure was found to be similar, except for subtle changes in the tips of all three loops, to the previously described “major” form of CTII in aqueous solution illustrated by the “trans” configuration of the Val7-Pro8 peptide bond. No “minor” form with the “ cis” configuration of the above bond was found in the micelle-bound state. The broadening of the CTII backbone proton signals by 5, 16-doxylstearate relaxation probes, together with modeling based on the spatial structure of CTII, indicated a periphery mode of binding of the toxin molecule to the micelle and revealed its micelle interacting domain. The latter includes a hydrophobic region of CTII within the extremities of loops I and III (residues 5–11, 46–50), the basement of loop II (residues 24–29,31–37) and the belt of polar residues encircling these loops (lysines 4,5,12,23,50, serines 11,46, histidine 31, arginine 36). It is suggested that this structural motif and the mode of binding can be realized during interaction of CTXs with lipid and biological membranes.

After D-Day: Operation Cobra and the Normandy Breakout

After D-Day: Operation Cobra and the Normandy Breakout

Ribonuclease from Cobra Snake Venom: Purification by Affinity Chromatography and Further Characterization

A ribonuclease from cobra snake venom was isolated and purified to homogeneity using antibody-affinity chromatography, increasing the yield fourfold. The purified enzyme showed cytidylic acid specificity, as reported earlier. Further, the effects of temperature, pH, metal ions, inhibitors, and urea on the enzyme activity were studied. Snake venom RNase exhibited salt-dependent reversible association-dissociation behaviour. Immunological studies indicate that this enzyme shares one of the antigenic sites of RNase A. The partial N-terminal sequence of the enzyme showed considerable homology with phospholipases from snake venom; however, the enzyme itself did not show any phospholipase activity.