Electron microscopic study of the effect of Egyptian sand viper ( Cerastes cerastes ) venom and its hemorrhagic toxin on muscle

Abstract

Snakes of families Crotalidae and Viperidae are known to cause severe hemorrhage and myonecrosis. There has been very little study on tissue damaging effects of the Egyptian sand viper venom. We investigated the myonecrotic effects of crude venom of Cerastes cerastes and a hemorrhagic toxin purified from the venom at the electron microscopic level. Crude venom induced severe hemorrhage, as well as extensive myofilament damage, in murine skeletal muscle. A purified hemorrhagic toxin (HT-a) induced prominent hemorrhage in skeletal muscle. However, evidence of myonecrosis was not observed, although there was some damage on the sarcolemma. The endomysium was packed with extravasated red blood cells.