PROTEOLYTIC ESTERASE AND KININ-RELEASING ACTIVITIES OF SOME SOVIET SNAKE VENOMS

The casein-, p-toluene-sulfonyl-l-arginine methyl ester- and benzoyl-l-arginine amide-hydrolyzing as well as the kinin-releasing activities of the viperids Vipera lebetina, Vipera ursini and Echis carinatus, the crotalids Agkistrodon halys halys and Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii and the elapid Naja naja oxiana venoms were studied. Viperid venoms were shown to contain kinin-releasing enzyme, as previously reported for crotalid venoms. The effect of inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes, such as aminocaproic acid, soy bean trypsin inhibitor and Trasylol, was studied on the kinin-releasing activity of the venoms mentioned above. Only the kinin-releasing activity of V. lebetina venom was inhibited by soy bean inhibitor. © 1969.