Hope for snakebite victims, new antidotes identified
The region in India where the victim had been bitten by hump nosed pit viper too would help decide which antidote would be more effective.
The region in India where the victim had been bitten by hump nosed pit viper too would help decide which antidote would be more effective.
The region in India where the victim had been bitten by hump nosed pit viper too would help decide which antidote would be more effective.
Indian viper is a highly venomous snake that could result in the death of its victims. Around 50 percent deaths due to snake bite in India have been due to the bite of the hump nosed pit viper (Chenathandan in Malayalam) that belong to the viper (Anali) family. Now scientists have identified verespladib and marimostat as effective antidotes for hump nosed pit viper venom. These antidotes were incredibly successful in tests conducted on rats. Besides, these medicines have been confirmed effective against the venom of different types of hump nosed pit vipers found in various states in India. The antidotes should be administered separately or in combination, depending upon the severity of the bite.
The features and effectiveness of the antidotes were discussed in detail in an article published by Dr Karthik Sunakar, professor of ecological sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. Phospholipase and metalloproteinase are the main components of hump nosed pit viper venom. These prevent blood clotting, causing internal bleeding and other severe health problems. Meanwhile, the antidotes will effectively fight each of these components in the venom.
The study
Acquiring the venom samples from every state was a key milestone in this study. The snake’s prey, the ecological nature of their habitat and even the atmospheric pressure impact the components in snake venom. Phospholipase was found in huge amount in the venom acquired from hump nosed pit vipers in Tamil Nadu and Punjab. However, this element is low in venom acquired from vipers in Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa and Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, viper venom from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh had high metalloproteinase. Interestingly, metalloproteinase was almost absent in the hump nosed pit viper venom collected from Tamil Nadu that had high amount of phospholipase.
This means that either verespladib, marimostat, or a combination of both could be used, depending on the region where the snake bite happened. However, the tests conducted at two regions in Karnataka showed the presence of both venoms in high amounts. So, identifying the snake is not the most important step while administering antidotes. The region in India where the victim had been bitten by hump nosed pit viper too would help decide which antidote would be more effective.