Snake bites have several effects on the body after the venom is introduced into the tissue such as edema, hemorrhage, tissue damage and even death. Recent studies show that more than 1,300 children is the U.S. suffer snakebites each year, with one in four attacks occurring in Florida and Texas. Usually these snake bites have irreversible skin damage and if left untreated, as often happens in the rural tropics because of delays in reaching adequate health care, severe and permanent scarring and deformity are frequently seen. Even though anti-venom is available for snake bite treatment, it is unable to reverse local tissue damage by snake venoms. In this study, our aim is to evaluate metal chelators, such as EDTA (ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid), citric acid and other metal chelators, for inhibition of the proteolytic activity of the venom. For research purposes, we use Hide-Remazol Brilliant Blue powder as a substrate for proteolytic activity of rattlesnake venom <i>(Crotalus atrox).</i> Inhibition can be determined by colorimetric analysis of the blue dye released by the powder on proteolysis. We will present data showing that several of these compounds inhibited the proteolytic activity of rattlesnake venom. These compounds are generally regarded as safe by FDA and could be potentially used as initial snake bite treatment. Our goal is to find safe compounds that could be used to prevent or minimize tissue damage due to snake bites.

Proteolytic activity of metal chelators as inhibitors of rattlesnake venom

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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