Resumen

MONTILLA F, Juan R; ALVAREZ DE M, María V; DIAZ Z, Elvira E  y  URDANETA V, Saulo H. Hyperimmunization of Ovines Against Bothrops asper Venom from the Zulia State, Venezuela: Preliminary Study. Rev. Cient. (Maracaibo) [online]. 2007, vol.17, n.6, pp.632-640. ISSN 0798-2259.

A group of four (4) healthy male sheep were immunized with Bothrops asper venom, in order to study the development of the immune response induced by the application of a hiperimmunization protocol. Blood samples were taken from the sheep every seven days in nine different opportunities. With the resultant serum, neutralization tests were done in mice. ED₅₀ was calculated and expressed in µg of neutralized venom per ml of serum, at the same time, general health conditions of sheep were observed during the hiperimmunization protocol. No general or local alterations of health were present as consequence of venom inoculations. Individual variations in the magnitude of the increase of antibody titles were observed in the obtained results. None the less common features in the antibody title curves were also recorded. The mean optimal average (705,5 µg/ml) was obtained on day 21 after the first challenge. At that time, the individual sheep with the highest value was 840 µg/ml and the lowest was 593 µg/ml; the lowest average of all samples (308 µg/ml ) was observed on day 56. It is recommend that animals to be used in the commercial venom antiserum production need to be individually screened and selected based on a satisfactory immune response.

Palabras clave : Bothrops asper; ovines; hyperimmunization; ED₅₀; antivenom; venom.