Interaction of Bothrops venoms and antivenin on the release of creatine kinase from skeletal muscle

ABSTRACT

A polyvalent antivenin (5 micronl/ml) inhibited the increase in creatine kinase (CK) release from rat extensor digitorum longus muscles exposde to the venoms of B. jararacussu (20 microng/ml) or B. jararaca (150 microng/ml). The increase in plasma CK activity induced by intramuscular injection of B. jaracussu venon (2.5 microng/g) into mice was reduce by penetreatment with the antivenin and was abolished by preincubation of the venon with the ativenin. Changes in CK release from isolated muscles or in plasma CK activity provide simple, quantitative methods for evaluating the effectiveness of antivenin against the myotoxicity of Bothrops venoms