Renal alterations induced by Cerastes cerastes cerastes venom.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the structural and functional alterations in the kidneys of rats experimentally envenomated with the viper Cerastes cerastes cerastes. The effects of a single i.p. sub-LD50 (0.73 mg Kg-1) for 24 hr and 7 consecutive doses (0.42 mg Kg-1; daily injection) on the kidneys of rats were studied. Histological examination of the kidneys in envenomated rats revealed the presence of atrophied glomeruli, cloudy materials within the proximal and distal convoluted tubules, atrophy and hypertrophy of quite a large number of tubular nuclei and mesangial proliferation. Hemorrhagic areas, dilated thrombosed vessels, fibrosis, and mitotic indices were also among the histopathological alterations in the renal cortex of the venom-injected animal groups. Electron microscopical findings revealed the presence of cell debris and electron dense materials within the lumen of the distal and proximal convoluted tubules. The cell lining of the proximal convoluted tubules underwent variable degrees of degeneration, and most of their intracellular organelles were deteriorated. The glomeruli contained quite large areas of mesangial matrix, and the lumen of most of their blood capillaries enclosed a moderately electron dense matrix. The cells of the endothelial lining of these capillaries were hypertrophied, and most of them lost their integrity and diffused with the surrounding matrix of the capillary lumen. Several leukocytic aggregates were observed in the intertubular spaces and blood capillaries. In addition, the erythrocytes of most of these capillaries displayed different patterns of electron density.