The influence of heparin at a low concentration agaist the myotoxicity of Bothrops jararacussu and bothropstoxin-I / A influencia da heparina em baixa concentração sobre a miotoxicidade do veneno de Bothrops jararacussu e bothropstoxina da heparina -I

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

Bothrops jararacussu venom (Bjssu) and its myotoxin bothropstoxin-I (BthTX-I) induce neurotoxicity and myotoxicity. Since the treatment with the antivenom is weakly efficient against the myotoxicity, many reports concentrate on studies utilizing substances that neutralize the myotixicity activity induced by the venom, including heparin. The objectives of this work were: 1) to examine the effect of heparin on the myotoxicity induced by venom and toxin, using a low heparin concentration, capable to prevent the neuromuscular blockade and, 2) to examine the protective role of heparin against Bjssu. Control experiments were performed with commercial bothropic antivenom (CBA), Tyrode solution or saline. To examine the neurotoxicity, a conventional myoghraphic technique was used in studies with mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparations (in vitro) and rat popliteal external nerve/muscle anterior tibialis (in vivo). Histological technique (light microscopy) and biochemical measurement of creatine kinase (CK) were used to examine the myotoxicity in vitro e in vivo, respectively. Protamine (a pharmaceutical antagonist) was used to evaluate the protective role of heparin. The results in vitro showed that the twitch-tension of 12 ± 2% in the presence of Bjssu (40 µg/mL; n=6) after 120 min was increased to 79.6 ± 5.9% when preincubated with heparin (5 UI/ml; n=6) and 68.3 ± 6.2% when preincubated with CBA (120 µL/mL; n=6). Similarly, the BthTX-I (2.9 µM) - induced responses amounted to 5 ± 1.3% (n=8) and 78.8 ± 6.8% with heparin (n=8) and 62.3 ± 6.1% with CBA (n=6). The quantification of morphological changes showed that the venom induced a damage of 27% and the toxin of 40%, which were reduced to 5% and 9%, when treated with heparin and 11% and 3% with CBA, respectively. The pre-treatment did not cause significant differences compared to Tyrode solution. The results in vivo showed that the same concentrations of venom and toxin utilized in in vitro assays did not induce alteration in twitch-tension. However, when injected in mouse gastrocnemius muscle, plasma levels of CK (U/l) of 1454 ± 185 (in the presence of Bjssu, n=6) were decreased to 236 ± 40 (heparin, n=6) and 47 ± 5 (CBA, n=6). Similarly, a value of 1531 ± 166 in the presence of BthTX-I (n=5) was decreased to 900 ± 149 (heparin, n=5) and 935 ±135 (CBA, n=5). The addition of protamine (0.8 UI/ml) at 15 min incubation of the mixture heparin+venom, induced a neuromuscular blockade similar to the venom in in vitro preparations. We conclude that heparin is more efficient (although totally antagonized by protamine) than CBA with respect to the in vitro neurotoxicity induced by Bjssu and BthTX-I, which did not cause myotoxicity in vivo (rats). Heparin is as efficient as CBA in myotoxicity in vitro, but less efficient in vivo compared to the crude venom

ASSUNTO(S)

antivenenos heparin mordeduras de cobra bothrops agentes neurotoxicos heparina neuromuscular junction venenos de serpentes junção neuromuscular bothrops veneno snake bites snake venoms antivenom venoms neurotoxic agents

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