CYTOLYSINS IN SNAKE VENOM 



201 



EFFECT OF VENOM ON CELLS OF COLD-BLOODED ANIMALS.' 



For the purpose of this study Flexner and Noguchi employed three differ- 

 ent kinds of cells : {a) nerve cells; (b) spermatozoa; (c) ova. 



Nerve cells : In regard to the neurolysis by venom the nerve cells contained 

 in the pre-oesophageal ganglia of Sycotypus canaliculatus , Modiola modiolus, 

 and Mactra solidissima were employed and seen to undergo rapid disintegra- 

 tion under the influence of venom. For the details I refer to the separate 

 heading "venom neurolysis in mtro^ 



Sperm cells: For the study of venom spermatolysis, the spermatozoa of 

 several different orders of animals — the reptilia, arthropoda, vermes, pisces, 

 and echinodermata — were employed. The method of study consisted in 

 suspending the spermatozoa in sea-water or normal saline solution (0.85 per 

 cent) , depending upon the nature of the animal. To the uniform milky sus- 

 pensions the venom in i per cent solution was added. The effects were 

 noted in vitro by the naked eye and under the microscope. Below are two 

 typical experiments given to avoid detailed descriptions for each species: 



Table 14. 



[Experiment I: Spermatozoa of Chrysemys picta (Painted Turtle).] 



Control. 



Cobra. 



Moccasin. 



Crotalus. 



Spermatozoa ac- 

 tive; normal 

 appearance; 30 

 minutes. 



Like control; 2 

 hours. 



No motility; ten- 

 dency of cells 

 to sink to bot- 

 tom of test- 

 tube; 4 hours. 



The milky hue becoming 

 lighter; motility lost; 

 many partially dis- 

 solved. 



Fluid clearing and al- 

 most without deposit. 

 Microscopically, frag- 

 ments only visible. 



Fluid almost completely 

 cleared. All cells 

 practically dissolved. 



Suspension becoming clearer, 

 no motility; swelling of 

 middle piece especially 

 marked. 



Moderate agglutination; con- 

 siderable deposit and much 

 clearing of the suspension. 

 Many of the cells dissolved. 



Clear fluid, but whitish; ag- 

 glutinated deposit in which 

 many of the cells remain in 

 a swoDen condition. 



No change; active 

 motility. 



No marked change 

 to naked eye. Mo- 

 tility present in 

 some individuals. 



MotiUty absent; de- 

 posit of cells; no 

 agglutination. 



[Experiment II: Spermatozoa of Tautogolabrus adspersus (Gunner).] 



Very active mo- 

 tility; 30 min- 

 utes. 



Very active mo- 

 tility; I hour. 



Very active mo- 

 tiUty; 2 hours. 



Motility gone in 5 min- 

 utes; beginning in 10 

 minutes to clear; no 

 agglutination. 



Solution complete. 



Solution complete. , 



Clearing in 30 minutes owing 

 to marked agglutination; 

 deposit forming. 



Deposit undergoing solution. 



Only debris remains. 



Slight agglutination; 

 motihty much re- 

 duced. 



Very slight motihty 



remains. 

 Motihty gone; little 



if any solution. 



These two experiments will suffice to show the rapid action of cobra and 

 the weaker effect of water-moccasin and crotalus venom in causing sperma- 

 tolysis. The effect of crotalus venom is, indeed, but shghtly injurious, pro- 

 ducing, as it does, agglutination, but almost no solution of the cells. 



1 Mitchell and Reichert observed that the crotalus venom causes the cilia of pharyngeal epithelia to 

 cease their motions, but those of the tunic of oysters remained unaffected. 



