Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address:
Published: November 2024
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
Globally, about 2.5 million people are victims of snakebites annually. In Brazil, the most clinically relevant snake is the Bothrops jararaca. The symptoms of envenomation are acute inflammation at the bite site and bleeding disorders. Despite kidney failure being the main cause of death after envenomation, kidney damage is not completely understood, and there are no clinically representative in vivo models. This work aimed to characterize the acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by intramuscular injection (IM) of Bothrops jararaca (Bjc) venom in male Wistar rats. The control group received 0.9% saline solution. Three doses of venom (3.5, 6.0, and 8.0 mg/kg) were administered IM into the posterior region of the right knee. After the injection, the rats were kept in metabolic cages. The following parameters were analyzed after 24 h: the extent of muscle damage and kidney damage (urinary creatinine, proteinuria, plasma creatinine, and renal tissue histology). All rats presented a hemorrhagic lesion at the injection site in a dose-dependent manner. Biochemical parameters indicated kidney damage: plasma creatinine accumulation, decreased glomerular filtration rate, albuminuria and proteinuria, and disturbance in Na homeostasis. Histological analyses showed glomerular injury, tissue discontinuity more evident in the cortex and tubular dilatation, and collagen deposition. The decline in renal function and tissue damage indicated the occurrence of AKI. Therefore, a Bjc venom-induced in vivo model of renal injury has been established for future studies.
Laboratorio de Toxinopatología, Departamento de Patología, Facultad de Medicina, José E. Uriburu 950, 5(to) piso (1114), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Nacional de Producción de Biológicos I.N.P.B. - A.N.L.I.S. ''Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán'', Ministerio de Salud, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 563 (1282), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Área Investigación y Desarrollo - Venenos, Aracnario-Serpentario. Instituto Nacional de Producción de Biológicos, A.N.L.I.S. "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Av. Velez Sarsfield 563 (1282). Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address:
In this work, we describe an easy, simple, and cost-effective method to assess the proteolytic activity of snake venoms. The method is based on measuring the hydrolytic halo formed by gelatin radial hydrolysis following the incubation of venoms on a solid gelatin-agarose plate. Venoms from Bothrops (B.
Laboratory of Pathophysiology Experimental, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, Brazil. Electronic address:
- The study aimed to create a treatment to speed up recovery from tissue damage caused by Bothrops jararaca snake venom using ultrasound and gold nanoparticles (GNPs).
- Researchers treated Swiss mice with various combinations of GNPs, ultrasound, and anti-bothropic serum after exposing them to snake venom, assessing factors like necrotic area and oxidative stress.
- Results showed that treatments incorporating GNPs and ultrasound significantly reduced tissue damage, enhanced healing, and improved antioxidant responses in the body.
Snakebite envenoming is a major global public health issue, especially in Brazil, where Bothrops snakes cause most incidents, leading to complications and fatalities.
A study from 2015-2021 analyzed data from various Brazilian municipalities to discover factors influencing snakebite incidence, utilizing Species Distribution Models and examining variables like precipitation, temperatures, and land use.
Results showed that higher snakebite rates were primarily in northern Brazil, with increased incidents linked to extensive forests, historical forest loss, higher temperatures, and precipitation, suggesting a correlation with snake activity and human interactions.
* Researchers analyzed venom from eight adult snakes using various methods, revealing differences in protein profiles and biochemical properties between species and genders.
* The findings show that male snakes generally had higher LAAO and PLA activities, while females exhibited higher proteolytic activity, and the butropic antivenom was effective against most venom proteins, albeit with some variability.
