Toxic effects of two Egyptian snakes [naja haje and cerastes cerastes] venoms on normal and diabetic albino rats

ABSTRACT

The current study was designed to illustrate the toxic effects of two Egyptian snake venoms Naja haje [elapidae family] and Cerastes cerastes [vipridae family] on non- diabetic and diabetic rats. Seventy two male albino rats were utilized. They were divided into two main equal groups, non-diabetic group [G1] and diabetic group [G2]. Each main group was divided into three equal subgroups. The non-diabetic group was divided into G1a [control], G1b [injected by 1/2 LD50 of Naja haje venom [0.007 mg/20gm b.w. I.M.], G1c [injected by 1/2 LD50 of Cerastes cerastes venom [0.073 mg/100 gm b.w. I.M.]. Diabetes was experimentally induced by I.P. injection of 140 mg/kg alloxan monohyderate. The diabetic group was divided into G2a [control], G2b and G2c treated similar to non-diabetic G1b and G1c. All animals were sacrificed three hours after injection, their blood and serum were subjected to biochemical analyses, while tissue samples were obtained for histopathological study. The present study revealed that, mortality rate, blood glucose level and C P K and L D H enzymes activities were higher in Naja hale injected groups than Cerastes cerastes groups. Coagulation factors represented by an increased Pt and PTT on the other hand were increased in Cerastes cerastes than in Naja haje. Pathological changes on site of injection [skin and muscle] was prominent in case of Cerastes cerastes venom, where skin showed thinning of the epidermis with necrosis of sebaceous glands and edema of the dermis with severe subdermal hemorrhage. Skeletal muscle showed severe wide spread hemorrhage and edema among the destructed muscle cells with scattered leucocytic infiltration. While Naja haje venom affected mainly the cardiac muscle and brain tissue, as myocardial muscle showed vacuolar degeneration, congestion of blood vessels with focal hemorrhagic area, edema and hyalinization among degenerated muscle fibers. Brain tissue revealed increase in glia cells of cerebrum, edematous neuron and encephalomalecia. The toxic effect of both venoms was more severe in diabetic group than non-diabetic one