Toxicity of South American snake venoms measured by an in vitro cell culture assay.

Cytotoxicity of venoms from eight medically important South American Crotalidae snakes (Bothrops and Lachesis genera) was determined, based on a procedure originally described for the screening of cytotoxic agents in general. The assay, the conditions of which were adapted to snake venoms, determines the survival of viable cells in monolayer culture upon exposure to the toxic agent. Snake venom toxicity was expressed as the venom dose that killed 50% of the cells (CT(50)) under the assay conditions. Bothrops neuwieddi mattogrossensis (CT(50)=4.74+/-0.35 microg/ml) and Bothrops leucurus (CT(50)=4.95+/-0.51 microg/ml) were the most cytotoxic whereas Bothrops atrox (CT(50)=34.64+/-2.38 microg/ml) and Bothrops sp. (CT(50)=33.89+/-3.89 microg/ml) were the least cytotoxic venoms, respectively. The relationship between CT(50) and other biological activities of these snake venoms was evaluated.