No abstract

Antivenom therapy has been ineffective in neutralizing the tissue damage caused by snakebites. Among therapeutic strategies to minimize effects after envenoming, it was hypothesized that a low level laser would reduce complications and reduce the severity of local snake venom effects. In the current study, the effect of a low-level semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs) laser on the local pathological alterations induced by B. moojeni snake venom was investigated. The experimental groups consisted of five male mice, each administered either B. moojeni venom (VB), B. moojeni venom + antivenom (VAV), B. moojeni venom + laser (VL), B. moojeni venom + antivenom + laser (VAVL), or sterile saline solution (SSS) alone. Paw oedema was induced by intradermal administration of 0.05 mg kg(-1) of B. moojeni venom and was expressed in mm of directly induced oedema. Mice received by subcutaneous route 0.20 mg kg(-1) of venom for evaluating nociceptive activity and the time (in seconds) spent in licking and biting the injected paw was taken as an indicator of pain response. Inflammatory infiltration was determined by counting the number of leukocytes present in the gastrocnemius muscle after venom injection (0.10 mg kg(-1)). For histological examination of myonecrosis, venom (0.10 mg kg(-1)) was administered intramuscularly. The site of venom injection was irradiated by the GaAs laser and some animals received antivenom intraperitoneally. The results indicated that GaAs laser irradiation can help in reducing some local effects produced by the B. moojeni venom in mice, stimulating phagocytosis, proliferation of myoblasts and the regeneration of muscle fibers.

The data suggest that CSE could exhibit a central mechanism for pain inhibition, and may also inhibit prostaglandin synthesis. These findings corroborate the traditional administration of C. spicatus decoction to treat inflammatory disorders, including those caused by B. atrox envenomation.

Snakebites envenomations are a problem public health in worldwide due to the high rates of morbidity and mortality. The Bothrops venom causes local tissue damage and inflammation is one of the most important events that occur. At present, effective treatment for snakebites is serum therapy with antivenom, which neutralizes systemic alterations but does not prevent local damage that can cause disabilities. Many plants are used in popular medicine to treat these accidents but few attempts have been made to investigate the scientific validity of these assertions. In Amazon region, indigenous and local people use the macerated bark of Brosimum guinanensis applied in the form of cataplasm, on the site of snakebite. This study aimed to analyze the ability of the Brosimum guianensis aqueous extract in the neutralization several effects induced by Bothrops atrox snake venom to investigate the scientific validity of folk medicine informations by means of controlled experiments. Our results showed that Brosimum guianensis aqueous extract was not effective to inhibit oedema, peritonitis, coagulant, myotoxic, phospholipase A2 activity (indirect hemolytic method) induced by B. atrox venom, but was able to inhibited significantly hemorrhagic and nociceptive activities. These results support a potential effect of this extract as a compounds source for biotechonological application and synthesis of new drugs with therapeutic purpose.