CLINICAL AND LABORATORY ALTERATIONS IN HORSES DURING IMMUNIZATION WITH SNAKE-VENOMS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF POLYVALENT (CROTALINAE) ANTIVENOM

Y. Angulo, R. Estrada and J. M. Gutierrez. Clinical and laboratory alt erations in horses during immunization with snake venoms for the produ ction of polyvalent (Crotalinae) antivenom. Toxicon 35, 81-90, 1997.-S ix horses were immunized with the venoms of Bothrops asper, Crotalus d urissus durissus and Lachesis muta stenophrys for the production of po lyvalent (Crotalinae) antivenom. During the immunization, clinical and laboratory alterations were evaluated in these animals, and the devel opment of humoral immune response was followed, Only moderate local ti ssue changes (edema, abscesses, fistules and fibrosis) were observed i n these animals, whereas no systemic alterations occurred. Regarding l aboratory tests, there was a drop in hemoglobin concentration and hema tocrit, together with an increment in total serum protein. Horses deve loped a moderate leukocytosis, with increments in polymorphonuclear le ukocytes and lymphocytes. No significant changes were observed in prot hrombin time or platelet count. There were no alterations in serum lac tic dehydrogenase and gamma glutamyl transferase activities, whereas m inor increments in creatine kinase and alanine aminotransferase activi ties were observed, together with a decrease in aspartate aminotransfe rase. All these changes occurred after the injection of 9 mg venom, wh en sodium alginate was first used as adjuvant. Creatinine levels had a small increment, although no changes were observed in urea levels or in the urea/creatinine ratio, An important individual variability was observed in the humoral immune response, as judged not only by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay, but also by assessing the neutralization o f the indirect hemolytic activity of venoms. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevi er Science Ltd.