Pulsed ultrasound therapy accelerates the recovery of skeletal muscle damage induced by Bothrops jararacussu venom

Abstract

We studied the effect of pulsed ultrasound therapy (UST) and antibothropic polyvalent antivenom (PAV) on the regeneration of mouse extensor digitorum longus muscle following damage by Bothrops jararacussu venom. Animals (Swiss male and female mice weighing 25.0 ± 5.0 g; 5 animals per group) received a perimuscular injection of venom (1 mg/kg) and treatment with UST was started 1 h later (1 min/day, 3 MHz, 0.3 W/cm2, pulsed mode). Three and 28 days after injection, muscles were dissected and processed for light microscopy. The venom caused complete degeneration of muscle fibers. UST alone and combined with PAV (1.0 mL/kg) partially protected these fibers, whereas muscles receiving no treatment showed disorganized fascicules and fibers with reduced diameter. Treatment with UST and PAV decreased the effects of the venom on creatine kinase content and motor activity (approximately 75 and 48%, respectively). Sonication of the venom solution immediately before application decreased the in vivo and ex vivo myotoxic activities (approximately 60 and 50%, respectively). The present data show that UST counteracts some effects of B. jararacussu venom, causing structural and functional improvement of the regenerated muscle after venom injury.

Low-intensity ultrasound attenuates paw edema formation and decreases vascular permeability induced by carrageenan injection in rats

“…Recent accumulating studies have reported that the mechanical modalities, such as ultrasound (US) and electrical stimulation have therapeutic effects in various diseases [7][8][9][10]. In particular, US at the frequency of 3 to 10 MHz has been used in general in clinical applications, mainly for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.…”

Ultrastructural aspects of mouse nerve-muscle preparation exposed toBothrops jararacussuandBothrops bilineatusvenoms and their toxins BthTX-I and Bbil-TX: Unknown myotoxic effects

“…Bothrops jararacussu ( Figure 1A) is widely distributed in Southeast region of Brazil (B ernils & Costa, 2015;Uetz & Ho sek, 2015); adult specimens can achieve 2.2 m length and accidents can cause local necrosis, shock, systemic bleeding and acute kidney injury (Milani et al, 1997). In vitro studies show that the venom of B. jararacussu causes irreversible neuromuscular blockade and muscle contracture, thus evidencing venom neurotoxic activity; histology of the muscle shows that muscle fibres exhibit pathologic states indicating that venom possesses myotoxic activity too (Ferraz et al, 2014;Oshima-Franco et al, 2000;Paiva-Oliveira et al, 2012;Patrão-Neto et al, 2013;Saturnino-Oliveira et al, 2012). The Lys49-PLA 2 BthTX-I, its major toxin, is able to reproduce the neuromuscular irreversible blockade, muscle contracture and membrane depolarization induced by crude venom in in vitro nervemuscle preparations; likewise the toxin is highly myotoxic (Cavalcante, Silva, & Gallacci, 2005;Ferraz et al, 2014;Oshima-Franco et al, 2001, 2004.…”

Crovirin, a Snake Venom Cysteine-Rich Secretory Protein (CRISP) with Promising Activity against Trypanosomes and Leishmania

“…The myotoxicity of crovirin was studied ex vivo using a muscle creatin kinase (CK) activity assay [55] . The analysis consisted of monitoring the rate of CK release from isolated mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle bathed in a solution containing crovirin (10 µg/ml).…”