Immunotoxicological effects triggered by the rattlesnake Crotalus durissus cumanensis, mapanare (Bothrops colombiensis) venoms and its purified fractions on spleen and lymph nodes cells

Abstract

Purpose: The snakes in Venezuela vary in their different venom composition amid the species. In this sense, studies have been carried out elucidating mechanisms related to their immunostimulatory and/or immunosuppressive effects in vitro, measuring inhibition or stimulation on the mice spleen and lymph nodes lymphocytes under the rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus cumanensis) (Cdc) and mapanare (Bothrops colombiensis) crude venoms actions, and also its purified fraction crotoxin (CTX) (Cdc) and a semi-purified fraction (SPF) (Bc) activities.

Material and methods: The stimulation of lymphocyte proliferation was carried out in the presence or absence of Concanavalin A (ConA) and lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

Results: The lymphocyte response was measured by the Alamar Blue^® (Resazurin) assay, observing that the Crotalus crude venom increased basal proliferation in the spleen and lymph nodes, being also increased with ConA and LPS. CTX slightly decreased the proliferative response in the presence of mitogens. Both Bc venom and its SPF fraction had no significant effect on basal proliferation in the spleen and lymph nodes, but a decrease in the response with ConA was observed. These results suggest that CTX has an inhibitory action on lymphocyte proliferation, while Cdc crude venom has a stimulatory action on T and B cell populations. Bothrops colombiensis venom had no effect on these two types of cell populations. As it is known, lymphocytes are cells of enormous flexibility and can operate in diverse aspects, warranting that the correct immune response persists controlled.

Conclusions: These results suggested that these different toxins can modulate lymphocyte functional activation toward an inhibitory or stimulatory state.

Keywords:

• Crotalus durissus cumanensis
• Bothrops colombiensis
• immunotoxinology
• lymphocyte response
• crotoxin

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank two anonymous referees that have helped improving the manuscript.

Author contributions

All experiments were performed at the Sección de Inmunología, Instituto de Medicina Experimental and the Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Ultraestructura, Instituto Anatómico, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. MMP and ARA designed the study. MA, EA and ARA carried out the experiments. MMP, EA and ARA analysed analyzed and interpreted the data. MA, EA and ARA wrote the draft of the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript and approved the final version for publication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor change. This change do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for the research was provided by grant PG: 09-8760-2013, Caracas, Venezuela, from the Consejo de Desarrollo Científico y Humanístico de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.