ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE TOXIC FRACTIONS OF COBRA VENOM

摘要

The venom of the cobra (Naja naja) produces a variety of physiological changes when administered to experimental animals. Observations lead to the speculation that cobra venom contains more than one toxic fraction. Results of this study show that cobra venom is composed of three physiologically identifiable components. The first component produces a complete loss of cortical electrical activity upon intravenous administration into the dog. The second component causes respiratory paralysis either by nerve blockade at the neuromuscular junction of the diaphragm or by nerve membrane depolarization. The third component affects the cardiovascular system, ultimately causing irreversible hypotension. The mechanism of this action is still unknown.