Poster 40 - Biochemical and hematological effects caused by Tityus serrulatus venom

Poster 40. Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira de Toxinologia, 8., Symposium of the Pan American Section of the International Society on Toxinology, 8., 2004, Angra dos Reis, Brasil. Abstracts... J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl.Trop. Dis., 2004, 10, 3, p.399.

¹Alves, R.S.; ¹Martins, R.D.; ²Aprígio, C.C.; ²Sousa, D.F.; ²Silva, G.G.; ²Barreira, T.F.; ²Bastos L.Z.C.; ²Queiroz, M.G.R.; ¹Barbosa, P.S.F.; ²Martins, A.M.C.; ³Toyama, M.H. ¹Monteiro, H.S.A.

1 Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia e 2 Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas - Universidade Federal do Ceará. 3 UNESP, São Paulo. Brasil.

Tityusserrulatus is the most dangerous scorpion species accounting for fatal stings, especially among children, in Brazil. The aim of present work was determining biochemical and hematological alterations induced by Tityusserrulatus venom. Male wistar rats (n = 07) weighing 170 ± 16 g were treated intraperitoneal with venom (300mg/Kg; v) or saline 0,9 % (control group; ct) and blood collected at different times after venom injection (2, 48 and 96 hours). The biochemical analyses were compound of glucose (G), creatinine (Cr), urea (Ur), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) serum levels, and hematological parameteres were red and white blood cell count, hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration. The results were analyzed by Student t teste, ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis. There were significant differences in the blood glucose (G2h= 87,55 ± 5,2mg/dL; G48h= 140,4 ± 10,8mg/dL; *p<0,0002) and levels of creatinine (Cr2h= 0,63 ± 0,02mg/dL; Cr48h= 0,8 ± 0,03mg/dL; *p<0,0001) in 2 and 48 hours. Urea levels increased between 2 and 96 hours (Ur2h= 40,74 ± 2,42mg/dL; Ur96h= 50,63 ± 3,44mg/dL; *p<0,039). The electrolytes results showed significative differences for potassium in 2 and 96 hours (K2h= 3,58 ± 0,09mEq/L; K96h= 4,74 ± 0,36mEq/L; *p<0,0427), but don´t showed differences for sodium (Na2h= 143,0 ± 3,59mEq/L; Na96h= 155,1 ± 8,57mEq/L; p>0,0936). Hematologic results were compared with control group and occured significative differences white blood cell number in 2 (ct =11,79 ± 1,02cel/mm³ and v =7,77 ± 0,36cel/mm³; *p<0,0030) and 96 hours (ct =40, 97 ± 5,75cel/mm³; v =62,04 ± 5,67cel/mm³; *p<0,0228) and hematocrit in 48 (ct =39,63 ± 0,90%; v =46,07 ± 1,94%; *p<0,0109) and 96 hours (ct =45,39 ± 1,18%; v =39,90 ± 1,08%; *p<0,0049). The values of red blood cell and hemoglobin concentration were not significant changes (p>0,05). The T. serrulatus venom caused increase in blood glucose and altered renal function with increase in creatinine, urea and potassium serum leves, in the dose studied.