Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-8673.2004.00322.x
Title: The in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activity of Boiga dendrophila (mangrove catsnake) venom
Authors: Lumsden, N.G.
Fry, B.G.
Ventura, S.
Kini, R.M. 
Hodgson, W.C.
Keywords: Anaesthetized rat
Colubrid
Guinea-pig ileum
Rat vas deferens
Snake
Venom
Issue Date: Oct-2004
Citation: Lumsden, N.G.,Fry, B.G.,Ventura, S.,Kini, R.M.,Hodgson, W.C. (2004-10). The in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activity of Boiga dendrophila (mangrove catsnake) venom. Autonomic and Autacoid Pharmacology 24 (4) : 107-113. ScholarBank@NUS Repository. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-8673.2004.00322.x
Abstract: The great taxonomic and prey base diversity of colubrids (non-front-fanged snakes) suggests that their venoms may represent a 'literal gold mine' for scientists eager to find novel pharmacological probes (Mackessy, 2002). While pharmacological characterization is lacking for most of these venoms, this is even more so with regard to activity of colubrid venoms on the mammalian autonomic nervous system. This study characterizes the activity of venom from the colubrid, Boiga dendrophila using in vitro smooth muscle preparations and the anaesthetized rat. In the prostatic segment of the rat vas deferens, cumulative additions of venom (1-150 μg ml-1) induced concentration-dependent inhibition of electrically evoked (0.2 Hz, 0.3 ms, 70-100 V) twitches. The inhibitory effect of venom (100 μg ml-1) was attenuated by 8-phenyltheophylline (8-PT) (20 μM) and 8-cyclopentyl-1, 3-dipropylxanthine (20 μM) but not idazoxan (1 μM), or a combination of ranitidine (0.2 μM) and thioperamide (10 μM). The inhibitory effect of venom (100 μg ml-1) was augmented by dipyridamole (10 μM) but abolished by pretreatment with adenosine deaminase (7.5 units/100 μM) suggesting that it contains components with adenosine A1 receptor activity, most likely adenosine. In isolated segments of guinea-pig ileum, venom (10-100 μg ml-1) caused concentration-dependent contractions which were inhibited by the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (0.1 μM) but not by the histamine receptor antagonist mepyramine (0.5 μM). In the anaesthetized rat, venom (5-7.5 mg kg-1, i.v.) caused a hypotensive effect. Our data suggest that the venom contains components with purinergic and muscarinic receptor activity.
Source Title: Autonomic and Autacoid Pharmacology
URI: http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/101942
ISSN: 14748665
DOI: 10.1111/j.1474-8673.2004.00322.x
Appears in Collections:Staff Publications

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