1978 Volume 29 Issue 2 Pages 175-183
Venom was extracted from venomous spicules of the Oriental tussock moth caterpillar, Euproctis subflava, and its pharmacological and biochemical properties were investigated. 1. Pharmacological activities such as positive skin reaction in man, increase in vascular permeability and contraction of smooth muscle of the isolated guinea pig ileum, and deformation of goat erythrocytes (EDA) were demonstrated in the venom extracted with PBS (pH 7.2). 2. The crude venom was separated into two, high molecular (HM) and low molecular (LM) fractions, by a single hollow fiber concentrator with a cut-off molecular weight of 15,000. Thin-layer and paper chromatographies revealed the presence of histamine in the LM fraction as identified by close agreement in Rf values and developed colors. 3. HM and LM fractions were further fractionated by column chromatography on Sephadex G-100 or G-50,respectively. HM fraction was separated into 4 (HM-I-IV) fractions : HM-I, which was eluted in the void volume, showed EDA. HM-II and III were proved to contain potent proteolytic (casein as substrate) and esterolytic (tosyl-arginine methylester, TAME as substrate) activities, respectively. Kinin-producing activity was also found in HM-III. Furthermore, ileum contraction activity was demonstrated in HM-II-III and IV, and all of the 4 fractions were positive in skin reaction and caused increase in vascular permeability. 4. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that the local reactions caused by the venomous spicules in the human skin are due to toxic substance(s) and/or enzyme(s) contained in the spicules rather than to mechanical injury.
