The hyaluronidase activities of some Southeast Asian snake venoms.

The hyaluronidase activities of venoms of snakes indigenous to Southeast Asia were investigated. With the exception of the venom of the Malayan krait Bungarus candidus, the elapid venoms had either little or no hyaluronidase activities, whereas the viperid venoms possessed considerable activity. A component of Russell's viper venom with hyaluronidase activities had a mol. wt of approximately 14,000. Neither MP4, a monoclonal antibody raised against the purified Russell's viper venom hyaluronidase toxin, nor a monospecific polyclonal antivenom neutralized the hyaluronidase activities of this purified hyaluronidase component of crude Russell's viper venom. The Russell's viper venom hyaluronidase activities was labile on heating and storage. The significance of these observations to envenomation and antivenom production is discussed.