The production of monovalent and anti-idiotype antivenom against Mesobuthus eupeus (Scorpionida: Buthidae) venom in rabbits.

The antivenom production against poisonous creatures encounters a number of difficulties. Interestingly, according to the network theory the conventional antigens are not necessarily needed for producing antibodies against the venoms. In this investigation, the antivenom against Mesobuthus eupeus venom was produced based on the aforementioned theory. Polyclonal antibodies against M. eupeus venom were obtained from the immunized rabbits and the specific antibodies were isolated. After separation of Fab2, immunization process and production of the monovalent and anti-idiotype, these antivenoms were analyzed for the determination of their neutralizing power. The level of the produced antibodies in different stages of this study was also measured by ELISA assay. Four hundred and fifty micrograms of the venom can be neutralized by 4.2, 18 and 291 mg of monovalent, polyvalent and anti-idiotype antivenom, respectively. The ELISA results revealed that idiotypic antigens were six times more immunogenic than anti-idiotypes. The anti-idiotype antivenom can be produced on a large scale with minimum venom consumption. In addition, they are non-toxicant in immunized animals and can be used as a vaccine in people at the risk of scorpion stings.