Cross-reactivity between Potamotrygon motoro antivenoms and dorsal and stinger extracts of others stingrays (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygonidae) from the Amazon basin

Abstract

In this study, two mouse hyperimmune sera were produced, one using extract from the stinger of the stingray Potamotrygon motoro and the other using extract from the dorsal region of the same species and their cross-reactivity with extracts from the following species of stingrays from the Amazon basin was investigated using Western blot and dot ELISA: Paratrygon aiereba, Plesiotrygon iwamae, Potamotrygon orbignyi and Potamotrygon schroederi. The results show that the dorsal extract was as immunogenic as the stinger extract and induced high levels of antibodies, which reacted with homologous and heterologous antigens, indicating that both types of extract may be suitable for use in the production of antivenom to treat victims of envenomation by stingrays.

Keywords:

• Potamotrigonins
• freshwater stingrays
• envenomations
• biological
• antivenom

Acknowledgements

This article is part of a doctoral thesis presented by JLVL for the Multi-institutional Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology at the Federal University of Amazonas.

The authors would like to thank PhD Akemi Shibuya of the National Research Institute of Amazonia (INPA) and PhD Wallice Duncan of Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) for ceding photos of the freshwater stingray specimens. We also want to thank MSc. Erlane José Rodrigues da Cunha Antônio of the Emílio Goeldi Paraense Museum of Federal University of Pará (UFPA) for drawing the map and PhD José Lapa of the Amazon Biotechnology Center (CBA) animal colony for his invaluable aid and for providing the necessary conditions for the study to be carried out.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

JLVL was a recipient of a doctoral fellowship from CAPES. MCS is a recipient of a CNPq-PQ grant (ref. nos. 303786/2013–2 and 303032/2016–2).