Proteomic study of localized tissue necrosis by Naja atra venom.

ABSTRACT

Naja atra bites often result in immediate and severe illness. The venom of N. atra contains a complex mixture of toxins that can cause significant damage to the patient's skin tissue. If left untreated, this condition can progress to localized necrosis, potentially resulting in impairment or even amputation in severe cases. Despite the known effects of the venom, the exact mechanisms underlying this tissue necrosis are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the protein components responsible for tissue necrosis induced by N. atra venom at both the organism-wide and molecular levels. To achieve this, venom was injected into Bama miniature pigs to cause ulcers, and exudate samples were collected at various time points after injection. Label-free proteomics analysis identified 1119, 1016, 938, 864, and 855 proteins in the exudate at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h post-injection, respectively. Further analysis revealed 431 differentially expressed proteins, with S100A8, MMP-2, MIF, and IDH2 identified as proteins associated with local tissue necrosis. In this study, we established a Bama miniature pig model for N. atra venom injection and performed proteomic analysis of the wound exudate, which provides important insights into the molecular pathology of snakebite-induced tissue necrosis and potential theoretical bases for clinical treatment. Proteomic data from this study can be accessed through ProteomeXchange using the identifier PXD052498.