Summary
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1.
Crotoxin isolated from the venom of the Brazilian rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus) by chromatography on CM-Sephadex and Sephadex G-75 caused respiratory paralysis accompanied by peripheral neuromuscular blockade.
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2.
The chicken was more sensitive to crotoxin than the mouse whereas the rat was more resistant.
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3.
There was a slight initial facilitation and latent period before the decline of neuromuscular transmission started. In the media with low Ca2+ or high Mg2+, there was also an immediate depression before the facilitation.
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4.
The membrane potential, action potential and the response to high K+ of the isolated muscles were not significantly affected.
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5.
The response to exogenous acetylcholine and the amplitudes of m.e.p.p.s were also not affected.
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6.
The quantal contents of e.p.p.s were markedly depressed and the amplitudes of successive e.p.p.s elicited by a train of pulses at 100 Hz were well maintained.
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7.
The frequency of m.e.p.p.s in the mouse diaphragm, but not in the rat muscle, was first increased followed by a decrease when the evoked release of transmitter failed.
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8.
In the blocked muscle, high K+ was still able to evoke a burst of m.e.p.p.s, though less marked than in the untreated control.
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9.
The neuromuscular blocking activity of crotoxin was attenuated by an increase of Mg2+, Ca2+ or decrease of Ca2+ but augmented by increasing rates of stimulation.
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10.
The effect of crotoxin continued to progress even after washout.
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11.
The effects of crotoxin are very similar to those of β-bungarotoxin and most likely due to the presynaptic inhibition of the mechanism mediating the release of neurotransmitter in the nerve terminal.
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Chang, C.C., Lee, J.D. Crotoxin, the neurotoxin of South American rattlesnake venom, is a presynaptic toxin acting like β-bungarotoxin. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 296, 159–168 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00508469
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00508469