The effects of Macrovipera lebetina venom on mice

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal the effects Macrovipera lebetina venom – one of the two most venomous (the other one is Montivipera xanthina) snake species in Turkey – histopathologically on liver, kidney and heart tissues of mice. The venom was injected into the tail veins of male mice at three different doses (0.5, 1 and 1.5 mg kg⁻¹). The animals were dissected 2 h after the injection, and their liver, kidney and heart tissues were examined histologically by light microscopy. Results of histopathological examination showed, degeneration, mononuclear cell infiltration, vacuoles around the nuclei and sinuzoidal congestion in livers; cellular degeneration, deformation in the structure of the glomerulus, intertubular congestion and mononuclear cell infiltration in the kidneys; and vacuoles around the nucleus, necrosis, congestion and mononuclear cell infiltration in heart tissues.

Keywords:

• Histopathology
• Viperidae
• venom
• kidney
• liver and heart muscle

Acknowledgements

This research is for partial fulfillment for the degree of M.Sc. of the Author Aydan Fulden (Yücel) Ağan. The authors wish to thank Professor Dr. C. Varol TOK for his species identification of Macrovipera lebetina and generous venom gift used in this study. Finally, the authors also would like to thank Prof. Dr. Ayhan Özkul for valuable comments in histopathologic evaluations.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Scientific Research Project Commission (2012/052) at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University.