Tan, Choo Hock and Lingam, Thava Malar Changra and Tan, Kae Yi (2022) Varespladib (LY315920) rescued mice from fatal neurotoxicity caused by venoms of five major Asiatic kraits (Bungarus spp.) in an experimental envenoming and rescue model. Acta Tropica, 227. ISSN 0001-706X, DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106289.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
The venoms of Asiatic kraits (Bungarus spp.) contain various neurotoxic phospholipases A(2) (beta-bungamtoxins) which can irreversibly damage motor nerve terminals, resulting in rapidly fatal suffocation by respiratory muscle paralysis or oral airway obstruction. Hence, there is a need of adjunct therapy at the pre-hospital stage to prevent or delay the onset of neurotoxicity, so that antivenom can be given within golden hour before the envenoming becomes antivenom-resistant. This study investigated the efficacy of varespladib, a small molecule PLA(2) (phospholipase A(2)) inhibitor, given as a bolus subcutaneously upon the onset of krait venom-induced paralysis in a mouse experimental envenoming and rescue model, where the severity of neurotoxicity was scored and the survival rate was monitored over 24 h. Varespladib at 10 mg/kg effectively alleviated the neumtoxicity of Bungarus sindanus, Bungarus multicinctus and Bungarus fasciatus venoms, and rescued all mice from venominduced lethality (100% survival). Varespladib at this dose, however, only partially reduced the neurotoxicity of Bungarus caeruleus and Bungarus candidus venoms, while all challenged mice were dead by 23 h (B. caeruleus) and 12 h (B. candidus). An increased dose of varespladib at 20 mg/kg markedly abated the venom neumtoxicity past 8 h of envenoming, and protected the mice from venom lethality (B. caeruleus: 75% survival; B. candidus: 100% survival). The finding is consistent with previous studies which demonstrated varespladib's inhibitory effect against some snake venoms. The findings suggest varespladib could be repurposed as an emergency drug for prevention or rescue (if given early enough) from the acute, neurotoxic envenoming syndromes caused by various major krait species in Asia.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Funders: | Universiti Malaya (Grant No. BKS003-2020) |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Snakebite envenoming; Phospholipase A(2); Small molecule inhibitor; Presynaptic neurotoxin; Lethality |
| Subjects: | R Medicine |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Medicine |
| Depositing User: | Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim |
| Date Deposited: | 19 Oct 2023 08:04 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Oct 2023 08:04 |
| URI: | http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/42047 |
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