Shashidharamurthy R, Mahadeswaraswamy Y H, Ragupathi L, Vishwanath B S, Kemparaju K
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2010 Nov;62(6):587-92. doi: 10.1016/j.etp.2009.08.002. Epub 2009 Sep 3.
Indian cobra (Naja naja) venom from different geographical locations varied in its composition and biochemical, pharmacological and immunological properties. Recently it has been shown that the variation in composition of venom from different geographical origin of Indian peninsula is due to the quantitative difference in the same components and also the presence of different biochemical entities with respect to their origin. This disparity in venom composition may be due to several environmental factors. However, very little is known about the systemic effects on vital organs caused by the venom due to regional variation. In the present investigation, the venom samples procured from eastern, western and southern regions were compared for histopathological effects on skeletal muscle and some vital organs (heart, lungs, liver and kidney) in the mouse model. All the three venom samples damaged vital organs such as cardiac muscle, gastrocnemius muscle, liver, lungs and kidneys; however, the extent of damage varied greatly. Eastern venom predominantly damaged cardiac muscle and kidney, western venom injured the liver and the southern venom affected the lung. In addition, the eastern venom caused the recruitment of a flux of inflammatory cells in the skeletal muscle unlike southern and western venom samples. These results suggest the diversity of target-specific toxins in all the three regional venoms. Thus, the study explores the possible variations in the pathological effects of cobra (Naja naja) venom samples on vital organs due to geographical distribution in the Indian subcontinent. It also emphasizes the importance of intra-specific variation of venom samples for the production of efficacious and region-specific therapeutic antivenom.
来自不同地理位置的印度眼镜蛇（Naja naja）毒液，其成分以及生化、药理和免疫特性各不相同。最近有研究表明，印度半岛不同地理来源的毒液成分差异，是由于相同成分的数量差异，以及不同生化实体因其来源不同而存在。毒液成分的这种差异可能归因于多种环境因素。然而，对于因区域差异导致的毒液对重要器官的全身影响，人们了解甚少。在本研究中，比较了从东部、西部和南部地区采集的毒液样本对小鼠模型骨骼肌和一些重要器官（心脏、肺、肝脏和肾脏）的组织病理学影响。所有三种毒液样本均对心肌、腓肠肌、肝脏、肺和肾脏等重要器官造成损害；然而，损害程度差异很大。东部毒液主要损害心肌和肾脏，西部毒液损伤肝脏，南部毒液影响肺部。此外，与南部和西部毒液样本不同，东部毒液导致骨骼肌中炎症细胞大量聚集。这些结果表明，所有三种区域毒液中存在靶标特异性毒素的多样性。因此，本研究探讨了印度次大陆因地理分布导致的眼镜蛇（Naja naja）毒液样本对重要器官病理影响的可能差异。它还强调了毒液样本种内差异对于生产有效且针对特定区域的治疗性抗蛇毒血清的重要性。
