HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

Effect of heparin and antivenom on skeletal muscle damage produced by Bothrops jararacussu venom

S. Calil-Elias1, A.M.B. Martinez2 and P.A. Melo1

1Departamento de Farmacologia Básica e Clínica and
2Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Offprint requests to: Dr. Paulo A. Melo, Departamento de Farmacologia Básica e Clínica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro , Rio de Janeiro ­ RJ ­ CEP, 21941-590, Brasil. e-mail: pamelo@farmaco.ufrj.br

 

Summary. We examined the effect of treatment with heparin and polyvalent antivenom on mice muscle Extensor digitorum longus (EDL) regeneration, after damage induced by injection of Bothrops jararacussu crude venom over the muscle of the right posterior limb. The mice were separated into groups and each group received treatment, by intravenous route with either high molecular weight heparin (H), low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), polyvalent antivenom (PAV) or with the combination of PAV plus H or PAV plus LMWH at 15 minutes and 4 hours after the injection of the venom. Myotoxicity was measured by the increase in plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity at two hours after the injection of the venom. The histological changes in EDL at 1, 3, 7 and 21 days after the injection of the venom were analyzed by light microscopy. In each group the normal and regenerated muscle fibers were quantified using Scion Image computer program. We also evaluated in vitro, the influence of these substances in the proteolytic and phospholipase activities of the venom. Heparins decreased the proteolytic activity of the venom but did not affect its phospholipase activity. However the PAV antagonized both activities. PAV and its combinations showed antimyotoxic activity, according to the magnitude of CK plasma levels. At 21 days the regeneration was observed in all animals, also in those that received only the venom. All treatments, except LMWH, promote a significant increase in the number of muscle fibers. Histol. Histopathol. 17, 463-470 (2002)

Key words: Heparin, Bothrops jararacussu venom, Skeletal muscle, Regeneration

DOI: 10.14670/HH-17.463