Management of Snakebite and Research Management of Snakebite ...

Management of Snakebite and Research
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Table 10. The potent biological properties of venoms of adult Russell’s vipers
Property Young viper Adult viper
LD 50 µg/mouse Nyaungdon 2.87 Daedaye 2.86
MHD µg/rat Danuphyu 30.9 Aunglan 23.7
MND µg/rat Kungyankone 20.4 Pantanaw 20.42
MDD µg/mouse Kungyankone 1.8 Taungdwingyi 1.0
MCD mg/ml Kyauksae 0.04 Nyaungdon 0.033
MCPID µg/ml Tharyarwaddy 0.0007 Tharawaddy 0.0007
In summary, venoms of adult vipers from lower Myanmar (Daedaye, Pantanaw,
Nyaungdon, Tharawaddy) possess potent lethal, necrotic, coagulant and capillary
permeability increasing except defibrino-genating (Taungdwingyi) and haemorrhagic
(Aunglan) activities. Adult Russell’s viper venom of Kyauksae is devoid of capillary
permeability increasing activity and possesses poor defibrinogenating and lethal activities.
It is interesting to note that potent biological activities of the potent venoms of young
vipers are comparable to that of adult (Table 8). In general venom of both young and adult
vipers of lower Myanmar possess potent biological activities except defibrinogenating,
haemorrhagic (adult) and coagulant (young). It is noteworthy that venoms of both young
and adult vipers of Tharawaddy possess potent capillary permeability increasing activity
among all.
DISCUSSION
Geographical variation in toxicity of venom has been reported (Minton and Weinstein,
1976, Glenn and Straight, 1978, Jayanthi and Gowda, 1988). Preliminary study of venom
from four localities of Yangon showed length and geographical variation of biological
properties of Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii siamensis) venom (Tun-Pe et al., 1993).
Geographical variation of biological properties of Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii siamensis)
venom from five divisions of Myanmar has been documented (Tun-Pe et al., 2000a). In
clinical field practice, two population of snake (young and adult) were responsible for
bites during harvesting season (Myint-Lwin et al., 1985, Sann-Mya et al., 1998, Kyaw-
Than et al., 1997). Therefore, biological properties of venom were studied on two groups
of snake; young (90 cm) based on the observation that 96% (51/55)
pregnant vipers have a total length of >90 cm (Tun-Pe et al., 1995).
Usually the colour of venom of young vipers is white to pale yellow and that of adult
is yellow depending on its L amino acid oxidase content. White venom has less L amino
acid oxidase enzyme content (Zeller, 1948). Ninety-two percent of venom of young vipers
of Danuphyu is white compared to other young viper venoms (64%) showing geographic
variation of the colour of the venom (Aye-Aye-Myint et al., 1997)
Venom from one locality of a division does not possess all potent biological activities
and individual potent biological property is found in venoms from various divisions. These