Biochemical and biological properties of Lonomia obliqua bristle extract

Lonomia obliqua caterpillar is frequently seen in accidents with humans especially in the south of Brazil. Patients develop a hemorrhagic syndrome that can be treated with specific antilonomic serum. A consumptive coagulopathy was found to be the main cause of bleeding complications observed in pati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
Main Authors: A. M. Chudzinski-Tavassi, L. C. Carrijo-Carvalho
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: SciELO 2006
Subjects:
Lonomia obliqua
Lonomia obliqua bristle extract
hemorrhagic syndrome
disseminated intravascular coagulation
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Toxicology. Poisons
RA1190-1270
Zoology
QL1-991
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-91992006000200002
https://doaj.org/article/0477e1256f7d474a8847b563230bc453
Description
Summary:Lonomia obliqua caterpillar is frequently seen in accidents with humans especially in the south of Brazil. Patients develop a hemorrhagic syndrome that can be treated with specific antilonomic serum. A consumptive coagulopathy was found to be the main cause of bleeding complications observed in patients after contact with L. obliqua. Studies revealed that L. obliqua caterpillar bristle extract (LOCBE) displays a procoagulant activity that leads to intravascular thrombin formation, resulting in a special form of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Fibrinolysis seems to be secondary to the fibrin production, since no direct fibrinolytic activity was found in LOCBE. Two procoagulant toxins, a factor X activator (Losac) and a prothrombin activator (Lopap), were isolated from LOCBE and characterized. Infusion of Lopap into experimental animals triggered a condition similar to that observed in human envenomation.

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