Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of crude and venom protein fractions of Cerastes vipera on the major enzymatic components of the respiratory chain in cultured human fibroblasts. Cerastes vipera crude venom was fractionated into seven protein fractions by using 8% preparative native polyacrylamide gel electro-phoresis. The effect of crude venom and purified venom fractions (F1-F7) on respiratory chain function in cultured human fibroblasts was investigated. Confluent fibroblast cultures were incubated with crude venom and venom protein fractions for a fixed period of three hours at 37°C. Crude venom and venom protein fractions 2, 4, 5 and 6 significantly increased the production of lactate as compared to control fibroblasts. The production of pyruvate was markedly decreased in all these cell lines. The ratio of lactate/pyruvate was increased in the cells and in the culture medium by crude venom and venom protein fractions 2, 4, 5 and 6. On the other hand fractions 1,3 and 7 exhibited no effect in relation to lactate and pyruvate production. Similarly the crude venom protein and venom protein fractions 2, 4, 5 and 6 significantly lowered the activity of the major enzymatic component of the respiratory chain in fibroblast mitochondria. In conclusion it is apparent that the crude and venom protein fractions 2, 4, 5 and 6 resulted in a significant lowering of the mitochondrial respiratory chain activity in cultured human fibroblasts.