Isolation of venom from Agkistrodon acutus and assay of biological activities of thrombin-like enzyme and other fractions

By DEAE-cellulose DE22 column chromatography the venom of Agkistrodon acutus from the mountainous area of southern Anhui Province was separated into 15 protein peaks. The enzymatic activities and the effects of procoagulant, anticoagulant, fibrinolysis, hemolysis, bleeding and lethal actions of the fractions were assayed. The fibrinolysis was related to the activity of proteinase, the hemolysis was related to the activity of phospholipase A, and the anticoagulant action was related to bleeding and lethal toxicity. The procoagulant action was coincident with the arginine esterase activity.
The TLE fraction acted directly on fibrinogen and possessed arginine esterase activity. Its procoagulant action was similar to that of Ancrod, the coagulant toxin of Malayan pit viper (Agkistrodon rhodostoma “Boie”).