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Do Antibiotics Potentiate Proteases in Hemotoxic Snake Venoms?

Toxins (2020-04-15)
Christoffer V Sørensen, Cecilie Knudsen, Ulrich Auf dem Auf dem Keller, Konstantinos Kalogeropoulos, Cristina Gutiérrez-Jiménez, Manuela B Pucca, Eliane C Arantes, Karla C F Bordon, Andreas H Laustsen
ABSTRACT

Antibiotics are often administered with antivenom following snakebite envenomings in order to avoid secondary bacterial infections. However, to this date, no studies have evaluated whether antibiotics may have undesirable potentiating effects on snake venom. Herein, we demonstrate that four commonly used antibiotics affect the enzymatic activities of proteolytic snake venom toxins in two different in vitro assays. Similar findings in vivo could have clinical implications for snakebite management and require further examination.

MATERIALS
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Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Fibrinogen from bovine plasma, Type I-S, 65-85% protein (≥75% of protein is clottable)