Effects of neutrophil depletion in the local pathological alterations and muscle regeneration in mice injected with Bothrops jararaca snake venom.

In order to study the role of neutrophils in the acute local pathological alterations induced by Bothrops jararaca snake venom, and in the process of skeletal muscle regeneration that follows, an experimental model was developed in mice pretreated with either an anti-mouse granulocyte rat monoclonal immunoglobulin G, which induces a profound neutropenia, or an isotype-matched control antibody. B. jararaca venom induced prominent haemorrhage and oedema, but only a moderate myonecrosis. No significant differences were observed in the extent of local haemorrhage, oedema and myonecrosis between neutropenic and control mice, suggesting that neutrophils do not play a determinant role in the acute pathological alterations induced by B. jararaca venom in this experimental model. Moreover, no differences were observed in skeletal muscle regeneration between these two experimental groups. In both the cases, limited areas of myonecrosis were associated with a drastic damage to the microvasculature and a scarce inflammatory infiltrate, with the consequent lack of removal of necrotic debris during the first week, resulting in a poor regenerative response at this time interval. Subsequently, a similar regenerative process occurred in both groups, and by 30 days, necrotic areas were substituted by groups of small regenerating muscle fibres. It is suggested that the drastic effect exerted by B. jararaca venom in the microvasculature precludes an effective access of inflammatory cells to necrotic areas, thereby compromising an effective removal of necrotic debris; this explains the poor regenerative response observed during the first week and the fact that there were no differences between neutropenic and control mice. As neutropenia in this model lasted only 7 days, the successful regenerative process observed at 30 days is associated with revascularization of necrotic regions and with a successful removal by phagocytes of necrotic debris in both groups.