Do Antibiotics Potentiate Proteases in Hemotoxic Snake Venoms?

Abstract

Antibiotics are often administered with antivenom following snakebite envenomings in order to avoid secondary bacterial infections. However, to this date, no studies have evaluated whether antibiotics may have undesirable potentiating effects on snake venom. Herein, we demonstrate that four commonly used antibiotics affect the enzymatic activities of proteolytic snake venom toxins in two different in vitro assays. Similar findings in vivo could have clinical implications for snakebite management and require further examination.

Keywords

• snakebite envenoming
• venom
• antibiotics
• snake venom serine proteases
• snake venom metalloproteases
• infection