Biochemical and biological properties of Lonomia obliqua bristle extract

• 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

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.