Isolated biomolecules of pharmacological interest in hemostasis from Cerastes cerastes venom

Biomolecules from Cerastes cerastes venom have been purified and characterized. Two phospholipases isolated from Cerastes cerastes venom share 51% of homology. CC2-PLA2 exhibits antiplatelet activity that blocks coagulation. CCSV-MPase, a non-hemorrhagic Zn2+-metalloproteinase, significantly reduced the plasmatic fibrinogen level and hydrolyzes only its B beta chain. Serine proteinases such as RP34, afaacytin and CC3-SPase hydrolyze the fibrinogen and are respectively alpha, alpha beta and alpha beta fibrinogenases. In deficient human plasma, afaacytin replaces the missing factors VIII and IX, and activates purified human factor X into factor Xa. It releases serotonin from platelets and directly aggregates human (but not rabbit) blood platelets. RP34 proteinase also had no effect on both human and rabbit blood platelet aggregation. CC3-SPase revealed a pro-coagulant activity. However, the insolubility of the obtained clot indicates that CC3-SPase does not activate factor XIII. In addition, CC3-SPase clotting activity was carried out with human plasmas from volunteer patients deficient in clotting factors. Results showed that CC3-SPase shortens clotting time of plasma deficient in factors II and VII but with weaker clotting than normal plasma. The clotting time of plasma deficient in factor II is similar to that obtained with normal plasma; suggesting that CC3-SPase is able to replace both factors IIa and VII in the coagulation cascade and thus could be involved in the blood clotting process via an extrinsic pathway. These results imply that CC3-SPase and afaacytin could repair hemostatic abnormalities and may replace some factors missing in pathological deficiency. Afaacytin also exhibits a fibrinase property similar to a plasmin-like proteinase. Despite its thrombin-like characteristics, afaacytin is not inhibited by plasmatic thrombin inhibitors. The procoagulant properties of afaacytin might have potential clinical applications.