Cardiotoxic Effects of Lachesis acrochorda Snake Venom in Anesthetized Wistar Rats

Ophidism is a public health problem in tropical countries, occurring predominantly in rural areas. In Colombia, among the species responsible for snakebite envenomation, inflicting high mortality, is the Chocoan bushmaster, Lachesis acrochorda, better known locally by the names "verrugosa (warty)" and "pudridora (rot-causing)". In this research, the cardiotoxic effect of the venom of L. acrochorda in male Wistar rats weighing 230 ± 20 g was evaluated. A statistical design of randomized blocks was implemented with three treated groups, injected with lyophilized venom (doses of 3.22 μg/g, 6.43 μg/g, 12.86 μg/g), and a control group injected with 0.9% saline solution. Electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings were taken from the anesthetized animals, revealing an increase in the amplitude of the P and T waves and an increase in the duration of the QT intervals in the electrocardiographic recordings. These increases were not observed in the control biomodels. In the analysis of the CK and CK-MB enzyme levels, increases were also observed in the levels of cardiac isoenzymes in the injected animals, but none in the control animals. The histopathological analyses carried out reveal that the injected animals showed effects such as interfibrillar and perivascular edema, cellular shortening of the cardiomyocytes, foci with tissue destructuring, and necrosis with contraction bands. In conclusion, the venom of the Lachesis acrochorda snake increases the P and T waves and the QT interval and increases the CK and CK-MB enzymes in the blood. Additionally, it causes interfibrillar and perivascular edema in the cardiac tissue, cardiocytolysis, and contraction bands.