Centre for Forensic Science, University of Western Australia, Australia.
Toxicon. 2011 Sep 15;58(4):304-14. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2011.07.008. Epub 2011 Jul 29.
To assess histopathological changes in clinically envenomed tiger snake patients and identify tissue specific localisation of venom toxins using immunohistochemistry.
One feline and one canine patient admitted to the Murdoch Pet Emergency Centre (MPEC), Murdoch University with tiger snake (Notechis sp.) envenoming. Both patients died as a result of envenomation. Non-envenomed tissue was also collected and used for comparison.
Biopsy samples (heart, lung, kidney andskeletal muscle tissue) were retrieved 1-2 h post death and processed for histopathological examination using Haemotoxylin and Eosin, Martius Scarlet Blue and Periodic Acid Schiff staining. Tissues were examined by light microscopy and tissue sections subjected to immunohistochemical staining using in-house generated monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against Notechis venoms.
Venom-induced pathological changes were observed in the lungs, kidneys and muscle tissue of both patients. Evidence, not previously noted, of procoagulant venom effects were apparent, with formed thrombi in the heart, lungs (small fibrillar aggregates and larger, discrete thrombi) and kidneys. Immunohistochemical assays revealed venom present in the pulmonary tissue, in and around the glomerular capsule and surrounding tubules in renal tissue and scattered throughout the Gastrocnemius muscle tissue.
This work has shown pathological evidence of procoagulant venom activity supporting previous suggestions that an initial thrombotic state occurs in envenomed patients. We have shown that venom toxins are able to be localised to specific tissues, in this case, venom was detected in the lung, kidney and muscle tissues of clinically envenomed animals. Future work will examine specific toxin localisation using monoclonal antibodies and identify if antivenom molecules are able to reach their target tissues.
评估临床中毒虎蛇患者的组织病理学变化，并使用免疫组织化学方法鉴定毒液毒素在组织中的特异性定位。
两只被虎蛇（Notechis sp.）咬伤后被送往默多克宠物急诊中心（MPEC）的猫和狗。两只患者均因中毒而死亡。同时收集了非中毒组织进行比较。
在死亡后 1-2 小时获取活检样本（心脏、肺、肾和骨骼肌组织），并使用苏木精和曙红、马蒂斯猩红蓝和过碘酸希夫染色进行组织病理学检查。通过光学显微镜检查组织，并使用内部生成的针对虎蛇毒液的单克隆和多克隆抗体对组织切片进行免疫组织化学染色。
在两名患者的肺、肾和肌肉组织中观察到了毒液引起的病理变化。有证据表明，以前未被注意到的促凝血毒液作用明显，心脏、肺（小纤维状聚集物和较大的离散血栓）和肾脏中都有形成的血栓。免疫组织化学检测显示，在肺组织、肾组织的肾小球囊和周围小管内以及周围组织中存在毒液，在腓肠肌组织中也有散在分布。
这项工作显示了促凝血毒液活性的病理证据，支持了以前的观点，即在中毒患者中最初会发生血栓形成状态。我们已经表明，毒液毒素能够定位到特定的组织，在这种情况下，在临床中毒的动物的肺、肾和肌肉组织中检测到了毒液。未来的研究将使用单克隆抗体检查特定毒素的定位，并确定抗蛇毒血清分子是否能够到达目标组织。
