Showing papers on "Naja published in 1990"
TL;DR: Observations confirm the importance of neurotoxic symptoms following bites by krait and cobra species but also suggest a contributory role of generalized rhabdomyolysis in krait victims and emphasize the problem of severe local tissue necrosis in cobra victims.
Abstract: In Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, 5 patients proved to have been bitten by common kraits (Bungarus caeruelus) and 2 by Sri Lankan cobras (Naja naja naja) were investigated. In all the cases of krait bite the patients were bitten while they were asleep: local signs were negligible but 4 developed symptoms of systemic envenoming including paralysis, muscle pain and tenderness and abdominal pain. Mild myoglobinaemia was found in one case. Of the 2 patients bitten by cobras, one developed severe local swelling which progressed to necrosis and the other local swelling and respiratory paralysis. Response to polyspecific antivenom (Haffkine, India) was neither rapid nor convincing. Venom antigenaemia became undetectable within 2 h of the start of antivenom treatment, but recurred 25 and 65 h later in 2 cases. Among a group of 27 patients treated with this antivenom (including 21 bitten by Russell's vipers), the incidence of early anaphylactic and pyrogenic reactions was high at 52% and 65% respectively. Anticholinesterase did not improve paralysis in 2 patients bitten by kraits. The respiratory failure in 2 patients was successfully treated by mechanical ventilation for 8 and 30 h. These observations confirm the importance of neurotoxic symptoms following bites by these species but also suggest a contributory role of generalized rhabdomyolysis in krait victims and emphasize the problem of severe local tissue necrosis in cobra victims. There is a need for safer and more potent antivenoms for use in Sri Lanka.
141 citations
TL;DR: Anatomically, the genus Naja can be divided into two main complexes; the African complex is thought to be most primitive and perhaps paraphyletic; Africa is presumed to be the centre of earliest radiation of the genus.
Abstract: Some basic osteological cranial features of living and fossil members of the genus Naja are described. The extinct genus Palaeonaja Hoffstetter, 1939, is synonymized with the modern Naja Laurenti, 1768, and the extinct species Palaeonaja crassa Hoffstetter, 1939, is synonymized with Naja romani (Hoffstetter, 1939). Anatomically, the genus Naja can be divided into two main complexes, composed of: (1) living African species, N. antiqua from the Moroccan Miocene, and N. iberica from the Spanish Miocene; (2) living Asiatic species and N. romani from the Miocene of France, Austria, and Ukraine. Living members of the Asiatic complex make up a monophyletic group; they belong to at least three distinct lineages: N. oxiana, N. naja s.s. ( = N. naja naja), and the remaining taxa named here informally the 'East Asiatic Naja'. The African complex is thought to be most primitive and perhaps paraphyletic; Africa is presumed to be the centre of earliest radiation of the genus. The precise relationships of Walterinnesia, a close relative of Naja occupying the area between Asiatic and African ranges of Naja, remain unclear.
62 citations
TL;DR: The full amino acid sequence of the acidic phospholipase A2 from Indian cobra venom was determined and its tertiary structure examined by circular dichroism (CD) to indicate a 40-50% alpha-helical content in a secondary structure which resists denaturation at high temperature, with or without chaotropic salts.
24 citations
30 Jun 1990
TL;DR: Nerve growth factor (NGF) was isolated from the venom of the Formosan cobra (Naja naja atra) by a combination of conventional methods and was identical with that deduced from the nucleotide sequence of an NGF cDNA from the Venom gland of Naja nja siamensis.
Abstract: Nerve growth factor (NGF) was isolated from the venom of the Formosan cobra (Naja naja atra). The amino acid sequence was determined by a combination of conventional methods. The total number of amino acid residues was 116, giving a molecular mass of 13,057 Da. The sequence was identical with that deduced from the nucleotide sequence of an NGF cDNA from the venom gland of Naja naja siamensis, reported by Selby et al. [J. Neurosci. Res., 18, 293-298 (1987)].
11 citations
Dissertation•
1 Jan 1990
6 citations
1 Nov 1990
6 citations
TL;DR: A cytotoxin‐like basic protein has been isolated from the venom of the nominate race of cobra (Naja naja nja from Pakistan) by a single step of high‐performance liquid chromatography.
3 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The typical profile of venoms of Elapidae was easily identified and the two species could easily be differentiated, whereas the differences between the two sub-species were more difficult to evidence.
Abstract: In our study on the identification of snake venoms by electrofocusing technics, the protein profiles of Naja naja naja, Naja nigricollis pallida and Naja nigricollis West Africa were compared. The typical profile of venoms of Elapidae was easily identified in this comparison. The two species could easily be differentiated, whereas the differences between the two sub-species were more difficult to evidence, since they are geographic variants of the same type.
2 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The stability test showed that Taiwan cobra toxoid kept at 37 degrees C for 40 days, the antigenicity increased by 24% and toxicity decreased by 10% as compared to the toxoid maintained at 4 degrees C.
Abstract: Potency of sixty antitoxic unit was reached after two immunizations in 2-week intervals of rabbits and horses with 10-25 mg Taiwan cobra (Naja naja atra) venom which was detoxified by 0.125% glutaraldehyde. Now this procedure has become a routine antivenine-producing method by which snake bivalent neurotropic antivenine is produced. The stability test showed that Taiwan cobra toxoid kept at 37 degrees C for 40 days, the antigenicity increased by 24% and toxicity decreased by 10% as compared to the toxoid maintained at 4 degrees C.
2 citations
TL;DR: A trypsin inhibitor from the venom of the cobra Naja naja nja naja has been isolated by a single step of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, establishing that the inhibitor molecule exhibits extensive variations.
Abstract: A trypsin inhibitor from the venom of the cobra Naja naja naja has been isolated by a single step of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography The protein strongly inhibits trypsin (Ki= 35 pM) The primary structure was determined by peptide analysis of the [14C]carboxymethylated inhibitor The 57-residue polypeptide chain belongs to the family of Kunitz-type inhibitors, and exhibits 42% residue identity with bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor The structure shows only 70% identity with the corresponding peptide from the Capa cobra (Naja nevia), establishing that the inhibitor molecule exhibits extensive variations Functionally, a basic residue at position P3′ correlates with strong inhibition