Interaction of Bothrops venoms and antivenin on the release of creatine kinase from skeletal muscle.

A polyvalent antivenin (5 microliter/ml) inhibited the increase in creatine kinase (CK) release from rat extensor digitorum longus muscles exposed to the venoms of B. jararacussu (20 micrograms/ml) or B. jararaca (150 micrograms/ml). The increase in plasma CK activity induced by intramuscular injection of B. jararacussu venom (2.5 micrograms/g) into mice was reduced by pretreatment with antivenin and was abolished by preincubation of the venom with the antivenin. Changes in CK release from isolated muscles or in plasma CK activity provide simple, quantitative methods for evaluating the effectiveness of antivenin against the myotoxicity of Bothrops venoms.