Estudo comparativo dos efeitos veneno bruto de serpentes Crotalus durissus terrificus (Laurenti, 1768) e Crotalus durissus collilineatus (Amaral, 1926) em lesões teciduais ocasionadas pela intoxicação experimental em ratos wistar

Abstract

Crotalus durissus is the only species of the genus that inhabits Brazil and is responsible for the highest number of deaths from ophidian accidents. Crotalic venom is a complex mixture of active proteins, enzymes, toxins, and polypeptides. These components have neurotoxic, myotoxic, nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic and coagulant actions, however, studies show variations in the effects of the poison. The objective of this study was to quantify, characterize and differentiate the systemic tissue lesions produced by venom of Crotalus durissus terrificus and Crotalus durissus collilineatus snakes in Wistar rats. Male Wistar rats (n = 60) were used. The animals were allocated into three groups (n = 20 each): Control Group (CG); C. durissus terrificus group (CdtG); and C. durissus collilineatus group (CdcG). After euthanasia, brain, lung, heart, liver, jejunum, colon, spleen, kidneys, skeletal muscle and testes were collected for histopathological analysis and a lesion score per animal was established. In the central nervous system, significant lesion scores (p <0.05) were observed in the CdcG and CdtG. The highest lesion score was observed in the CdtG. In muscle tissue, the CdcG presented a higher lesion score in the heart, whereas in the skeletal muscle the highest score was found in the CdtG. In the kidney, significant lesions were observed in the CdcG and CdtC with the highest mean lesion score in the CdcG. The highest hepatic injury score was in the CdtG. In the lungs, a higher lesion score was observed only in the CdcG. In the spleen, low lesion scores were evidenced. In the intestines, the colon presented low lesion scores, but significant differences (p <0.05) were observed. The only organ that presented significant differences (p <0.05) between the three groups was the jejunum. In the testis, significant lesion scores were found in both groups (p<0,05). Our results show that crotalic venom has a deleterious effect on all organic systems. When addressing a patient whit a suspected rattlesnake bit, the clinician should consider variations in clinical signs by virtue of the composition as well as differences in the performance of each subspecies in different tissues. The data obtained in our study provide subsidies for new research on the toxicity of crotalic venom of the different subspecies of the genus Crotalus durissus.