Title
Innovative immunization protocols using chimeric recombinant protein for the production of polyspecific loxoscelic antivenom in horses
Date Issued
01 January 2014
Resource Type
Journal
Author(s)
Figueiredo L.F.M.
Dias-Lopes C.
Alvarenga L.M.
Mendes T.M.
Machado-De-Ávila R.A.
McCormack J.
Minozzo J.C.
Kalapothakis E.
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Publisher(s)
Elsevier Ltd
Abstract
A chimeric protein (rCpLi) was constructed expressing three epitopes of rLiD1, a dermonecrotic toxin from the venom of Loxosceles intermedia spider. We have analyzed the neutralization potential of sera obtained by immunization of horses with rCpLi and rCpLi combined with initial doses of venoms and compared these with antivenom traditionally produced in horses using crude Loxosceles gaucho, Loxosceles laeta and L. intermedia venoms as antigens. We have demonstrated by ELISA that horses immunized with three initial doses of crude venom containing mixtures of L. intermedia, L. gaucho and L. laeta followed by nine doses of rCpLi generate antibodies with the same reactivity as those produced following immunization with traditional antivenom, towards the venoms of the three Loxosceles sp. species. Results from in vivo and in vitro neutralization assays showed that the new horse sera are able to neutralize the dermonecrotic activity of Loxosceles venoms, which are of medical importance in Brazil and some of these sera are capable of meeting the necessary potency requirements that could allow for their therapeutic use in humans. This immunization strategy combining both antigens used approximately 67% less crude Loxosceles venoms compared to traditional immunization protocol and can mean the development of Loxosceles antivenoms with the consequent reduction of devastation of arachnid fauna. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Start page
59
End page
67
Volume
86
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Inmunología Toxicología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84902177894
PubMed ID
Source
Toxicon
ISSN of the container
00410101
Sponsor(s)
Funding text This research was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior , Brazil – CAPES (TOXINOLOGIA N o 23038000825/2011-63 ), Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brazil – FAPEMIG (PPM – 0031-12; APQ – 01553-10) and by funds of the INCTTOX PROGRAM of Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico , Brazil – CNPq (PQ 302842/2010-1). We would like to express gratitude to B.C. Antunes and S.A.O. Brandt for their assistance and animal care during horse immunizations; and Professor J.C.P. Coninck of Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, who performed the statistical analyses of the results of this work.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus