| deaths from snake bite in australia, 1981-1991. | to obtain and analyse data relating to snake bite fatalities in australia. | 1992 | 1453996 |
| an epidemiological study of snake bite envenomation in papua new guinea. | we report a study of 347 patients with snake bite envenomation in papua new guinea. the male: female ratio of the victims was 1.6:1 and their mean age was 24.5 years; 26% were children less than 15 years old. in all cases in which the bite site was known (334) the snake had bitten the extremities of the victim, with 71.3% of these bites being on the ankle or below. the patients came from three regions: urban papua, rural papua and (mostly rural) new guinea. snake bites occurred more frequently d ... | 1991 | 1994203 |
| an investigation, in vitro, of the actions of three western australian snakes on the blood coagulation of the dog, cat, horse and wallaby. | venoms of the tiger snake and brown snake were procoagulant, in vitro, when tested with cat, dog, horse and wallaby plasma. in the absence of calcium and phospholipid the coagulant activity of tiger snake venom was minimal. in contrast, brown snake venom alone had marked procoagulant activity. this activity, however, was enhanced by the presence of calcium and phospholipid. death adder venom exerted an anticoagulant effect. apparent species' differences in susceptibility to the coagulant venoms ... | 1985 | 4062725 |
| cross-reactivity of bardick snake venom with death adder antivenom. | a case of a young man who was bitten by a bardick snake (notechis curtus) and who, apart from marked local swelling, had neither signs of coagulopathy nor neurological symptoms, is reported. the bardick snake venom taken from the site of the bite reacted strongly with the death adder antivenom in the snake venom detection kit, but did not react with the notechis antivenom. this anomalous reactivity was confirmed when dried bardick snake venom was used. in-vitro observations of the bardick snake ... | 1984 | 6708901 |
| a study of the major australian snake venoms in the monkey (macaca fascicularis). ii. myolytic and haematological effects of venoms. | rhesus monkeys were kept in a restraining apparatus and while conscious injected with the venoms of a range of australian snakes. although the action of restraining itself caused an elevation of the animals' plasma creatine kinase (c.k.), the rise was up to 5 times greater in envenomed monkeys. the venoms of the tiger snake, mulga, beaked sea snake, rough-scaled, copperhead and red-bellied snakes were all powerfully myolytic, and those of the taipan and small-eyed snake less so. no myolytic acti ... | 1981 | 7335377 |
| the amino acid sequence and position of the free thiol group of a short-chain neurotoxin from common-death-adder (acanthophis antarcticus) venom. | the amino acid sequence of a short-chain neurotoxin acanthophis antarcticus c (toxin aa c) from the venom of an australian elapid snake, the common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus, subfamily acanthophiinae) was elucidated. toxin aa c is composed of 62 amino acid residues, including eight half-cystine residues and a cysteine residue. the amino acid sequence of toxin aa c is homologous with those of other short-chain neurotoxins found in snakes of the family elapidae, especially with those fr ... | 1981 | 7337702 |
| characterization of monoclonal antibodies against naja naja oxiana neurotoxin i. | seven monoclonal antibodies (mabs) were developed against neurotoxin i (nt-1), a protein from central asian cobra (naja naja oxiana) venom which binds specifically to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (achr). all of the mabs cross-reacted with another long-chain post-synaptic neurotoxin, bungarus multicinctus alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-bt), but not naja naja kaouthia alpha-cobratoxin, in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (e.l.i.s.a.). short-chain post-synaptic neurotoxins like naja naja atra co ... | 1994 | 7945236 |
| the emerging syndrome of envenoming by the new guinea small-eyed snake micropechis ikaheka. | the new guinea small-eyed or ikaheka snake, micropechis ikaheka, which occurs throughout new guinea and some adjacent islands, is feared by the indigenes. the first proven human fatality was in the 1950s and this species has since been implicated in many other cases of severe and fatal envenoming. reliable attribution of envenoming to this species in victims unable to capture or kill the snake recently became possible by the use of enzyme immunoassay. eleven cases of proven envenoming by m. ikah ... | 1996 | 8759493 |
| electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients bitten by taipans (oxyuranus scutellatus canni) and other elapid snakes in papua new guinea. | envenoming by a number of species of snake may affect the myocardium or cause electrocardiographic changes; several different mechanisms have been proposed. in a prospective study of snake bite in papua new guinea, electrocardiographic changes were observed in 36 of 69 patients (52%) envenomed by the taipan (oxyuranus scutellatus), 2 of 6 (33%) envenomed by death adders (acanthophis sp.) and one envenomed by the brown snake (pseudonaja textilis). septal t wave inversion and bradycardias, includi ... | 1997 | 9093629 |
| anticholinesterases as antidotes to envenomation of rats by the death adder (acanthophis antarcticus). | the purpose of this study was to find an antidote against death adder envenomation that can be used in cases of emergency, when antivenoms are not readily available (papua new guinea and the australian outback). such an antidote should allow bite victims to survive until established treatment is possible. death adder venom is thought to act postsynaptically at the neuromuscular junction to reduce responses to acetylcholine. this causes severe flaccid paralysis and finally death, which is usually ... | 1994 | 9237335 |
| s-100 immunoreactivity in melanomas of two marsupials, a bird, and a reptile. | s-100 proteins are abundant in melanocytes of the skin; thus, s-100 immunoreactivity has been used as a diagnostic criterion for melanoma in humans and other placental mammals. we tested cutaneous melanomas of two marsupials, a bird, and a snake for s-100 immunoreactivity, using a polyclonal rabbit antibovine s-100 antibody. the tumor from a tasmanian pademelon (thylogale billaridierii) was composed of large epithelioid cells, most of which had s-100-positive cytoplasm. in general, there were on ... | 1997 | 9396143 |
| purification, characterization, and amino acid sequence determination of acanthins, potent inhibitors of platelet aggregation from acanthophis antarcticus (common death adder) venom. | venom of acanthophis antarcticus, a common death adder, exhibits potent antiplatelet effects. by a combination of gel-filtration, cation-exchange, and reversed-phase chromatographic methods, two inhibitors of platelet aggregation, named acanthin i and ii, were purified to homogeneity as assessed by capillary electrophoresis and electrospray mass spectrometry. these isoforms exhibit the most potent antiplatelet activity known thus far, with ic50 values of 7 nm for acanthin i and 4 nm for acanthin ... | 1998 | 9637731 |
| a pharmacological examination of venoms from three species of death adder (acanthophis antarcticus, acanthophis praelongus and acanthophis pyrrhus). | the common (a. antarcticus), northern (a. praelongus) and desert (a. pyrrhus) death adders are species belonging to the acanthophis genus. the present study compared some pharmacological aspects of the venoms of these species and examined the in vitro efficacy of death adder antivenom. neurotoxicity was determined by the time to produce 90% inhibition (t(90)) of indirect (0.1 hz, 0.2 ms, supramaximal voltage) twitches in the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle (3-10 microg/ml) and mouse phrenic ... | 2001 | 10978738 |
| species and regional variations in the effectiveness of antivenom against the in vitro neurotoxicity of death adder (acanthophis) venoms. | although viperlike in appearance and habit, death adders belong to the elapidae family of snakes. systemic envenomation represents a serious medical problem with antivenom, which is raised against acanthophis antarcticus venom, representing the primary treatment. this study focused on the major acanthophis variants from australia and islands in the indo-pacific region. venoms were profiled using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and analyzed for in vitro neurotoxicity (0.3-10 microg/ml), ... | 2001 | 11543646 |
| isolation and pharmacological characterization of a phospholipase a2 myotoxin from the venom of the irian jayan death adder (acanthophis rugosus). | 1. it has long been thought that death adder venoms are devoid of myotoxic activity based on studies done on acanthophis antarcticus (common death adder) venom. however, a recent clinical study reported rhabdomyolysis in patients following death adder envenomations, in papua new guinea, by a species thought to be different to a. antarcticus. consequently, the present study examined a. rugosus (irian jayan death adder) venom for myotoxicity, and isolated the first myotoxin (acanmyotoxin-1) from a ... | 2003 | 12540524 |
| species-dependent variations in the in vitro myotoxicity of death adder (acanthophis) venoms. | based on early studies on acanthophis antarcticus (common death adder) venom, it has long been thought that death adder snake venoms are devoid of myotoxicity. however, a recent clinical study reported rhabdomyolysis in patients following death adder envenomations, in papua new guinea, by a species thought to be different to a. antarcticus. subsequently, a myotoxic phospholipase a2 component was isolated from a. rugosus (irian jayan death adder) venom. the present study examined the venoms of a. ... | 2003 | 12773755 |
| isolation and characterization at cholinergic nicotinic receptors of a neurotoxin from the venom of the acanthophis sp. seram death adder. | the present study describes the isolation of the first neurotoxin (acantoxin iva) from acanthophis sp. seram death adder venom and an examination of its activity at nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nachr) subtypes. acantoxin iva (mw 6815; 0.1-1.0 microm) caused concentration-dependent inhibition of indirect twitches (0.1 hz, 0.2 ms, supramaximal v) and inhibited contractile responses to exogenous nicotinic agonists in the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle, confirming that this toxin is a pos ... | 2004 | 15194010 |
| snakes across the strait: trans-torresian phylogeographic relationships in three genera of australasian snakes (serpentes: elapidae: acanthophis, oxyuranus, and pseudechis). | we analyze the phylogeny of three genera of australasian elapid snakes (acanthophis-death adders; oxyuranus-taipans; pseudechis-blacksnakes), using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and bayesian analysis of sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b and nd4 genes. in acanthophis and pseudechis, we find evidence of multiple trans-torresian sister-group relationships. analyses of the timing of cladogenic events suggest crossings of the torres strait on several occasions between the late miocene and ... | 2005 | 15579378 |
| isolation and characterisation of acanmyotoxin-2 and acanmyotoxin-3, myotoxins from the venom of the death adder acanthophis sp. seram. | death adder (genus acanthophis) venoms display neurotoxic activity but were thought to be devoid of myotoxic components. studies from our laboratory have shown that some species (i.e. acanthophis rugosus and acanthophis sp. seram) possess venom with myotoxic activity [wickramaratna jc, fry bg, aguilar m, kini rm, hodgson wc. isolation and pharmacological characterisation of a phospholipase a2 myotoxin from the venom of the irian jayan death adder (a. rugosus). br j pharmacol 2003;138:333-342; wi ... | 2005 | 16242671 |
| four cases of snake envenomation responsive to death adder antivenom. | death adder envenomation is rare in humans and there is only one brief report previously in dogs. this paper details three cases of canine common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus) envenomation and one case of bardick (echiopsis curta) envenomation which were responsive to death adder antivenom. the available literature on death adder envenomations is also reviewed. the main clinical sign in the four dogs was severe lower motor neuron paralysis. there was no clinical evidence of coagulopathy ... | 2006 | 16498830 |
| treatment of snakebite in australia: the current evidence base and questions requiring collaborative multicentre prospective studies. | despite the wealth of anecdotes and case reports there are fundamental questions of management of snakebite in australia that remain unresolved or for which the current evidence is limited. the efficacy in the field, potential limitations and possibility of improvements in pressure immobilisation first aid need objective studies in humans. optimal bandage sizes, stretch and pressure for different sized limbs need further evaluation, as does the use of pressure pads. better definitions of specifi ... | 2006 | 16930660 |
| twentieth century toxinology and antivenom development in australia. | it was not until the last decade of the 19th century that an experimental approach (led by bancroft in queensland and martin in sydney and melbourne) brought a higher plane of scientific objectivity to usher in the modern era of australian toxinology. this australia era, 1895-1905, coincided with and in some respects was the result of the new knowledge emerging from europe and the americas of the therapeutic effects of antitoxins. the subsequent systematic study of australian venoms and toxins t ... | 2006 | 17030053 |
| fatal attraction: adaptations to prey on native frogs imperil snakes after invasion of toxic toads. | adaptations that enhance fitness in one situation can become liabilities if circumstances change. in tropical australia, native snake species are vulnerable to the invasion of toxic cane toads. death adders (acanthophis praelongus) are ambush foragers that (i) attract vertebrate prey by caudal luring and (ii) handle anuran prey by killing the frog then waiting until the frog's chemical defences degrade before ingesting it. these tactics render death adders vulnerable to toxic cane toads (bufo ma ... | 2009 | 19419984 |
| human anti-snake venom igg antibodies in a previously bitten snake-handler, but no protection against local envenoming. | we report a 60 year old male bitten by snakes from the acanthophis genus (death adder) on two occasions who developed high titres of human igg antibodies to acanthophis venom detected at the time of the second bite. the patient was bitten by acanthophis antarcticus (common death adder) on the first occasion, developed non-specific systemic effects and did not receive antivenom. three months later he was bitten by acanthophis praelongus (northern death adder) and he developed significant local my ... | 2010 | 19647759 |
| cross-neutralisation of australian brown snake, taipan and death adder venoms by monovalent antibodies. | an understanding of the cross-neutralisation of snake venoms by antibodies is important for snake antivenom development. we investigated the cross-neutralisation of brown snake (pseudonaja textilis) venom, taipan (oxyuranus scutellatus) venom and death adder (acanthophis antarcticus) with commercial antivenoms and monovalent anti-snake igg, using enzyme immunoassays, in vitro clotting and neurotoxicity assays. each commercial antivenom bound all three venoms, and neutralised clotting activity of ... | 2010 | 19879227 |
| presence of presynaptic neurotoxin complexes in the venoms of australo-papuan death adders (acanthophis spp.). | australo-papuan death adders (acanthophis spp.) are a cause of serious envenomations in papua new guinea and northern australia often resulting in neurotoxic paralysis. furthermore, victims occasionally present with delayed-onset neurotoxicity that sometimes responds poorly to antivenom or anticholinesterase treatment. this clinical outcome could be explained by the presence of potent snake presynaptic phospholipase a(2) neurotoxin (span) complexes and monomers, in addition to long- and short-ch ... | 2010 | 20064542 |
| characterisation of the heterotrimeric presynaptic phospholipase a(2) neurotoxin complex from the venom of the common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus). | while australo-papuan death adder neurotoxicity is generally considered to be due to the actions of reversible competitive postsynaptic alpha-neurotoxins, the neurotoxic effects are often poorly reversed by antivenom or anticholinesterases. this suggests that the venom may contain a snake presynaptic phospholipase a(2) (pla(2)) neurotoxin (span) that binds irreversibly to motor nerve terminals to inhibit neurotransmitter release. using size-exclusion liquid chromatography under non-reducing cond ... | 2010 | 20361942 |
| isolation and characterisation of p-eptx-ap1a and p-eptx-ar1a: pre-synaptic neurotoxins from the venom of the northern (acanthophis praelongus) and irian jayan (acanthophis rugosus) death adders. | the neurotoxicity observed following death adder envenoming has been thought to be solely due to the presence of potent post-synaptic neurotoxins. clinically, these effects are often poorly reversed by death adder antivenom or anticholinesterase, particularly when patients present with established paralysis. this suggests that either the post-synaptic neurotoxins are irreversible/'pseudo' irreversible, or the venom contains pre-synaptic neurotoxins that do not respond to antivenom. to support th ... | 2010 | 20488165 |
| validation of a cell-based assay to differentiate between the cytotoxic effects of elapid snake venoms. | acanthophis genus (i.e. death adders) and the naja genus (i.e. cobras) belong to the family elapidae. the current study compared the in vitro cytotoxicity of venoms from four acanthophis spp. and three naja spp. on rat aortic smooth muscle cells, a7r5, and rat skeletal muscle cells, l6. the ability of csl death adder antivenom and saimr antivenom, for acanthophis spp. and naja spp. venom respectively, to negate the cytotoxicity was also examined. | 2011 | 20849965 |
| α-elapitoxin-aa2a, a long-chain snake α-neurotoxin with potent actions on muscle (α1)(2)βγδ nicotinic receptors, lacks the classical high affinity for neuronal α7 nicotinic receptors. | in contrast to all classical long-chain α-neurotoxins possessing the critical fifth disulfide bond, α-elapitoxin-aa2a (α-eptx-aa2a), a novel long-chain α-neurotoxin from the common death adder acanthophis antarcticus, lacks affinity for neuronal α7-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nachrs). α-eptx-aa2a (8850da; 0.1-1μm) caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of indirect twitches, and blocked contractures to cholinergic agonists in the isolated chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle prep ... | 2010 | 20950587 |
| isolation and partial characterisation of a lethal neurotoxin from the venom of the australian death adder (acanthophis antarcticus). | | 2004 | 524386 |
| a new species of death adder (acanthophis: serpentes: elapidae) from north-western australia. | australian death adders (genus acanthophis) are highly venomous snakes with conservative morphology and sit-and-wait predatory habits, with only moderate taxonomic diversity that nevertheless remains incompletely understood. analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences and morphological characteristics of death adders in northern australia reveal the existence of a new species from the kimberley region of western australia and the northern territory, which we describe as acanthophis cryp ... | 2015 | 26623813 |
| neurotoxicity, anticoagulant activity and evidence of rhabdomyolysis in patients bitten by death adders (acanthophis sp.) in southern papua new guinea. | thirty-two patients with enzyme-immunoassay-proven death adder (acanthophis sp.) bites were studied in port moresby, papua new guinea. eighteen were envenomed; local signs were rare and none had incoagulable blood, but all except one had signs of neurotoxicity. five (27.7%) envenomed patients required intubation and ventilation. one patient developed renal failure, previously undescribed following death adder bites. laboratory investigations showed mild prolongation of prothrombin and partial th ... | 1996 | 8730340 |
| vintage venoms: proteomic and pharmacological stability of snake venoms stored for up to eight decades. | for over a century, venom samples from wild snakes have been collected and stored around the world. however, the quality of storage conditions for "vintage" venoms has rarely been assessed. the goal of this study was to determine whether such historical venom samples are still biochemically and pharmacologically viable for research purposes, or if new sample efforts are needed. in total, 52 samples spanning 5 genera and 13 species with regional variants of some species (e.g., 14 different popula ... | 2014 | 24434587 |
| bites in australian snake handlers--australian snakebite project (asp-15). | snakebites in snake handlers are an important clinical problem that may differ to bites in the general population. | 2012 | 22875778 |
| cross reactivity between venomous, mildly venomous, and non-venomous snake venoms with the commonwealth serum laboratories venom detection kit. | studies have noted the relatively common occurrence of positive urine results with the commonwealth serum laboratories venom detection kit (vdk) when testing patients with suspected snakebite who are not envenomed. possible explanations have been false positive test results or subclinical envenoming. we investigated a third possibility, that there is potential for the venom (or saliva) from mildly venomous and non-venomous snakes to give a positive reading with the vdk. | 2006 | 15537410 |
| can australians identify snakes? | a study of the ability of australians to identify snakes was undertaken, in which 558 volunteers (primary and secondary schoolchildren, doctors and university science and medical students) took part. over all, subjects correctly identified an average of 19% of snakes; 28% of subjects could identify a taipan, 59% could identify a death adder, 18% a tiger snake, 23% an eastern (or common) brown snake, and 0.5% a rough-scaled snake. eighty-six per cent of subjects who grew up in rural areas could i ... | 1983 | 6679049 |
| when dinner is dangerous: toxic frogs elicit species-specific responses from a generalist snake predator. | in arms races between predators and prey, some evolved tactics are unbeatable by the other player. for example, many types of prey are inedible because they have evolved chemical defenses. in this case, prey death removes any selective advantage of toxicity to the prey but not the selective advantage to a predator of being able to consume the prey. in the absence of effective selection for postmortem persistence of the toxicity then, some chemical defenses probably break down rapidly after prey ... | 2007 | 18171175 |
| the ecological impact of invasive cane toads on tropical snakes: field data do not support laboratory-based predictions. | predicting which species will be affected by an invasive taxon is critical to developing conservation priorities, but this is a difficult task. a previous study on the impact of invasive cane toads (bufo marinus) on australian snakes attempted to predict vulnerability a priori based on the assumptions that any snake species that eats frogs, and is vulnerable to toad toxins, may be at risk from the toad invasion. we used time-series analyses to evaluate the accuracy of that prediction, based on > ... | 2011 | 21618921 |
| electrospray liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry fingerprinting of acanthophis (death adder) venoms: taxonomic and toxinological implications. | death adders (genus acanthophis) are unique among elapid snakes in both morphology and venom composition. despite this genus being among the most divergent of all elapids, the venom has been historically regarded as relatively quite simple. in this study, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (lc/ms) analysis has revealed a much greater diversity in venom composition, including the presence of molecules of novel molecular weights that may represent a new class of venom component. furthermore, ... | 2002 | 11870898 |
| amino acid sequence of a neurotoxic phospholipase a2 enzyme from common death adder (acanthophis antracticus) venom. | the amino acid sequence of the first neurotoxic phospholipase a2, acanthoxin a1, purified from the venom of the common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus) was determined. acanthoxin a1 shows high homology with other australian elapid pla2 neurotoxins, in particular acanthin-i and -ii, also from death adder, pseudexin a from the red-bellied black snake (pseudechis porphyriacus), and pa-12a and pa-9c from the king brown snake (pseudechis australis). acanthoxin a1 is a single-chain 118 amino acid ... | 2001 | 11288727 |
| characterisation of the biochemical and biological variations from the venom of the death adder species (acanthophis antarcticus, a. praelongus and a. pyrrhus). | we report on species variation in the venoms of the three species of death adder; the common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus), the northern death adder (acanthophis praelongus) and the desert death adder (acanthophis pyrrhus). the venoms were found to vary in their biochemical (chromatography) and biological (pla(2) activity, anticoagulant activity and reactivity with commercial death adder antivenom) properties. each species produced significant differences in the profile and distribution ... | 2000 | 10858511 |
| modeling of acanthoxin a1, a pla2 enzyme from the venom of the common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus). | the phospholipase a2 enzyme, acanthoxin, found in the venom of the common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus) as with other snake pla2 enzymes displays neurotoxic activity. it is unclear whether this neurotoxic activity particular to some snake pla2 enzymes is a result of structural differences solely within the catalytic sites or at a distant location upon the molecules. we have predicted the three-dimensional structure of one of the two predominant isoforms of acanthoxin (a1) using comparati ... | 1999 | 10090288 |
| acanthoxin, a toxic phospholipase a2 from the venom of the common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus). | this is the first report of a phospholipase a2 (pla2) from the venom of the common death adder, acanthophis antarcticus. acanthoxin is a basic, monomeric pla2 of mol. wt 13,000, consistent with the weight of neurotoxic pla2s from other australian elapids. however, preliminary ultracentrifugation experimentation has shown that it is able to undergo concentration-dependent aggregation to form dimers. it has a relatively high degree of enzymatic activity (23.93 +/- 1.18 mumoles of phospholipid hydr ... | 1997 | 9278979 |
| isolation and amino acid sequence of a new long-chain neurotoxin with two chromatographic isoforms (aa el and ae e2) from the venom of the australian death adder (acanthophis antarcticus). | the amino acid sequence of a previously undescribed toxin from australian death adder venom (acanthophis antarcticus) has been elucidated. it appears to exist in two forms which are separated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, but which have the same sequence and mol. wt. it has 79 amino acid residues and is therefore longer than other long postsynaptic neurotoxins. it shows homology with the conserved regions of the other long postsynaptic neurotoxins except for three uniq ... | 1997 | 9133710 |
| snake bite--an occupational hazard? | snake bite envenomation demands a high level of knowledge and skill on the part of the critical care nurse. the following paper examines a case study of one patient who presented on two separate occasions, with snake bites from a taipan and then, 6 months later, from a death adder. snake venom contains a variety of complex substances which do vary between the snake species; therefore, the different forms of envenomation require different modalities of treatment. this paper seeks to examine the d ... | 1996 | 9136297 |
| anticholinesterase therapy for death adder envenomation. | | 1990 | 2344328 |
| the complete amino acid sequence of a post-synaptic neurotoxin isolated from the venom of the australian death adder snake acanthophis antarcticus. | 1. a lethal neurotoxin (acanthophin d) was isolated from the venom of the australian death adder snake acanthophis antarcticus. 2. acanthophin d consisted of a single polypeptide chain of 74 amino acid residues cross-linked by five disulphide bridges. 3. the results of neurophysiological experiments on murine phrenic nerve hemi-diaphragm preparations were consistent with irreversible post-synaptic blockage of neuromuscular transmission by acanthophin d. | 1990 | 2158871 |
| positive response to edrophonium in death adder (acanthophis antarcticus) envenomation. | a 20-year-old papua new guinean male developed neuromuscular paralysis following a bite by a death adder (acanthophis antarcticus). ptosis persisted despite otherwise effective anti-venom therapy. the ptosis clinically resembled myasthenia gravis and improved after intravenous edrophonium. the role of anticholinesterase drugs in snake bite management is discussed. | 1988 | 3242468 |
| resolution of neurotoxicity with anticholinesterase therapy in death-adder envenomation. | a case of the reversal of death-adder (acanthophis antarcticus) neurotoxicity by treatment with neostigmine methylsulphate in a papua new guinean villager is described. while antivenom remains the mainstay in the treatment of snake-bite envenomation, the possible role of anticholinesterase therapy for death-adder bites in papua new guinea is discussed. in addition, some problems with first-aid management are outlined. | 1988 | 3367819 |
| proton nuclear magnetic resonance analyses of the molecular conformations of unique long neurotoxins bearing phe-25: astrotia stokesii b, astrotia stokesii c, and acanthophis antarcticus b. | the 270-mhz proton nmr spectra of the unique long neurotoxins bearing phe-25, astrotia stokesii b (as b) and astrotia stokesii c (as c) from astrotia stokesii, and acanthophis antarcticus b (aa b) from acanthophis antarcticus, have been analyzed. the aromatic proton resonances of phe-25 in as b and aa b were assigned on the basis of the nuclear overhauser effects observed on irradiation of slowly exchanging amide protons. phe-25 was found to be involved in hydrophobic interactions with ile/val-4 ... | 1986 | 3711042 |
| further studies on the mass of venom injected by elapid snakes. | further experimental studies to determine the mass of venom injected by medically-significant australian elapids are reported. the use of a modified enzyme immunoassay technique to measure venom injected during snake bite is presented. the feeding biting pattern of the australian eastern brown snake (pseudonaja textilis) is described. using data from ten different snakes of this species, it is established that the mass of venom delivered in a first-bite is 4.69 +/- 0.85 mg (mean +/- s.e.) and a ... | 1983 | 6857711 |
| isolation, properties and amino acid sequence of a long-chain neurotoxin, acanthophis antarcticus b, from the venom of an australian snake (the common death adder, acanthophis antarcticus). | the venom of an australian elapid snake, the common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus), was chromatographed on a cm-cellulose cm52 column. one of the neurotoxic components, acanthophis antarcticus b (toxin aa b) was isolated in about 9.4% (a280) yield. the complete amino acid sequence of toxin aa b was elucidated. toxin aa b is composed of 73 amino acid residues, with ten half-cystine residues, and has a formula weight of 8135. toxin aa b has no histidine or methionine residue in its sequence ... | 1981 | 7305964 |
| the death adder (acanthophis antarcticus): the effect of the bite and its treatment. | | 1966 | 4224323 |
| cross-neutralisation of in vitro neurotoxicity of asian and australian snake neurotoxins and venoms by different antivenoms. | there is limited information on the cross-neutralisation of neurotoxic venoms with antivenoms. cross-neutralisation of the in vitro neurotoxicity of four asian and four australian snake venoms, four post-synaptic neurotoxins (α-bungarotoxin, α-elapitoxin-nk2a, α-elapitoxin-ppr1 and α-scutoxin; 100 nm) and one pre-synaptic neurotoxin (taipoxin; 100 nm) was studied with five antivenoms: thai cobra antivenom (tcav), death adder antivenom (daav), thai neuro polyvalent antivenom (tnpav), indian polyv ... | 2016 | 27763543 |
| the molecular basis of cross-reactivity in the australian snake venom detection kit (svdk). | the snake venom detection kit (svdk) is of major medical importance in australia, yet it has never been rigorously characterised in terms of its sensitivity and specificity, especially when it comes to reports of false-negative and false-positive results. this study investigates reactions and cross-reactions of five venoms the svdk is directed against and a number of purified toxins. snakes showing the closest evolutionary relationships demonstrated the lowest level of cross-reactivity between g ... | 2007 | 17904179 |
| differential myotoxic and cytotoxic activities of pre-synaptic neurotoxins from papuan taipan (oxyuranus scutellatus) and irian jayan death adder (acanthophis rugosus) venoms. | pre-synaptic pla(2) neurotoxins are important components of many australasian elapid snake venoms. these toxins disrupt neurotransmitter release. taipoxin, a pre-synaptic neurotoxin isolated from the venom of the coastal taipan (oxyuranus scutellatus), causes necrosis and muscle degeneration. the present study examined the myotoxic and cytotoxic activities of venoms from the papuan taipan (o. scutellatus) and irian jayan death adder (acanthophis rugosus), and also tested their pre-synaptic neuro ... | 2013 | 23311944 |
| functional morphology of the palato-maxillary apparatus in "palatine dragging" snakes (serpentes: elapidae: acanthophis, oxyuranus). | elapid snakes have previously been divided into two groups (palatine erectors and palatine draggers) based on the morphology and inferred movements of their palatine bone during prey transport (swallowing). we investigated the morphology and the functioning of the feeding apparatus of several palatine draggers (acanthophis antarcticus, oxyuranus scutellatus, pseudechis australis) and compared them to published records of palatine erectors. we found that the palatine in draggers does not move as ... | 2010 | 19623628 |
| snakebite in tropical australia: a prospective study in the "top end" of the northern territory. | to describe the epidemiology of snakebite in the "top end" of the northern territory, and the envenoming syndromes of individual snake species. | 2006 | 15588215 |
| identifying the time scale of synchronous movement: a study on tropical snakes. | individual movement is critical to organismal fitness and also influences broader population processes such as demographic stochasticity and gene flow. climatic change and habitat fragmentation render the drivers of individual movement especially critical to understand. rates of movement of free-ranging animals through the landscape are influenced both by intrinsic attributes of an organism (e.g., size, body condition, age), and by external forces (e.g., weather, predation risk). statistical mod ... | 2015 | 25941572 |
| morphology, reproduction and diet in australian and papuan death adders (acanthophis, elapidae). | death adders (genus acanthophis) differ from most other elapid snakes, and resemble many viperid snakes, in their thickset morphology and ambush foraging mode. although these snakes are widely distributed through australia and papua new guinea, their basic biology remains poorly known. we report morphological and ecological data based upon dissection of >750 museum specimens drawn from most of the range of the genus. female death adders grow larger than conspecific males, to about the same exten ... | 2014 | 24718608 |
| analysis of intraspecific variation in venoms of acanthophis antarcticus death adders from south australia. | intraspecific variation in venom composition and activity has been reported from a wide range of snakes. geographical origin can be one cause for this variation and has recently been documented from acanthophis antarcticus death adders sampled across four different australian states. the present study examined whether a narrower sampling range of a. antarcticus from four collection sites within one australian state (i.e., south australia) would also exhibit variation in venom composition and/or ... | 2013 | 24163732 |
| death adder envenoming causes neurotoxicity not reversed by antivenom--australian snakebite project (asp-16). | death adders (acanthophis spp) are found in australia, papua new guinea and parts of eastern indonesia. this study aimed to investigate the clinical syndrome of death adder envenoming and response to antivenom treatment. | 2012 | 23029595 |
| venom physiology and composition in a litter of common death adders (acanthophis antarcticus) and their parents. | metabolic expenditure has been shown to increase abruptly in several snake species directly after venom expenditure, while the later stages of venom replenishment seem to involve minor costs. this study examines the dependence of increases in metabolic rate following venom expenditure on the stage of venom replenishment that the venom producing tissue is in at the time of venom extraction in the common death adder, acanthophis antarcticus. potential changes in venom composition during venom repl ... | 2011 | 20937295 |
| costs of venom production in the common death adder (acanthophis antarcticus). | the utilization of venom in predatory and defensive contexts is associated with benefits regarding minimization of energetic expenditure on hunting, maximization of success in prey acquisition and avoidance of injury from dangerous prey and aggressors. multiple characteristics suggest that venom is quite expensive to produce, thereby creating a tradeoff between advantages and disadvantages associated with its possession. the metabolic costs of venom production have rarely been studied and no inf ... | 2010 | 20659494 |
| [the study of the creatine kinase radiation stability in 25mg-enzyme enrichment experiment]. | the radiation inactivation technique was applied to conduct the study on catalytic activity changes of creatine kinase species isolated from the mid-asian death adder venom. both intact and the 25mg-enriched enzyme samples were separately tested. some differences in radiation stability levels were found to be indicating to a shift in conformational condition (a so called "conformational distribution") of the native enzyme that had happen in the presence of the magnetic nuclei excess. | 2016 | 19947522 |
| effects of seasonal variation in prey abundance on field metabolism, water flux, and activity of a tropical ambush foraging snake. | the responses of animals to seasonal food shortages can have important consequences for population dynamics and the structure and function of food webs. we investigated how an ambush foraging snake, the northern death adder acanthophis praelongus, responds to seasonal fluctuations in prey availability in its tropical environment. in the dry season, field metabolic rates and water flux, as measured by doubly labeled water, were significantly lower than in the wet season. unlike some other reptile ... | 2013 | 17717815 |
| the adaptive significance of reptilian viviparity in the tropics: testing the maternal manipulation hypothesis. | phylogenetic transitions from oviparity to viviparity in reptiles generally have occurred in cold climates, apparently driven by selective advantages accruing from maternal regulation of incubation temperature. but why, then, are viviparous reptiles so successful in tropical climates? viviparity might enhance fitness in the tropics via the same pathway as in the temperate zone, if pregnant female reptiles in the tropics maintain more stable temperatures than are available in nests (shine's mater ... | 2006 | 16568637 |
| five years of snake envenoming in far north queensland. | to describe the epidemiology, clinical features, treatment and outcomes of patients with elapid snake envenoming in far north queensland. | 2005 | 14992068 |
| granny sucks snakebite: a study of an envenomation. | this paper examines the management of a young patient who was admitted to hospital following a suspected envenomation by a common death adder (acanthopis antarticus) whilst holidaying at his grandmother's house. it describes the progress of the patient from the first aid he received at home through to discharge, including medical and nursing management whilst in the emergency department and the intensive care unit (icu). the paper also describes some of the common elements related to snake enven ... | 2003 | 14692160 |
| identification of helodermatid adenovirus 2 in a captive central bearded dragon (pogona vitticeps), wild gila monsters (heloderma suspectum), and a death adder (acanthophis antarcticus). | adenoviruses are medium-sized dna viruses with very high host fidelity. the phylogenetic relationships of the adenoviruses strongly resemble that of their hosts, consistent with evolutionary codivergence. the genus atadenovirus appears to have evolved in squamate hosts. perhaps the best known of the squamate adenoviruses is agamid adenovirus 1 (agadv1), found most commonly in central bearded dragons (pogona vitticeps), where it is a prevalent cause of hepatitis/enteritis, especially in young ani ... | 2019 | 31120684 |
| a taxon-specific and high-throughput method for measuring ligand binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. | the binding of compounds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors is of great interest in biomedical research. however, progress in this area is hampered by the lack of a high-throughput, cost-effective, and taxonomically flexible platform. current methods are low-throughput, consume large quantities of sample, or are taxonomically limited in which targets can be tested. we describe a novel assay which utilizes a label-free bio-layer interferometry technology, in combination with adapted mimotope pe ... | 2019 | 31623073 |
| molecular evidence for the first records of facultative parthenogenesis in elapid snakes. | parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction by which embryos develop from unfertilized eggs. parthenogenesis occurs in reptiles; however, it is not yet known to occur in the widespread elapid snakes (elapidae), which include well-known taxa such as cobras, mambas, taipans and sea snakes. here, we describe the production of viable parthenogens in two species of australo-papuan elapids with divergent reproductive modes: the oviparous coastal/papuan taipan (oxyuranus scutellatus) and the vivi ... | 2018 | 29515892 |