Serum proteins and electrophoretic profile in horses undergoing crotalidvenom hyperimmunization

Abstract

Translate Article

ABSTRACTIndisputably, the use of antivenoms for the treatment of snakebite envenoming isbeneficial for the victims. However, there are few studies addressing the effect oflong-term hyperimmunization in inoculated horses. It is known that the injection of snakevenoms and adjuvants leads to local and systemic reactions in horses, but little is knownabout the response of inflammatory proteins. The aim of this study was to evaluate serumproteins and the electrophoretic profile of horses undergoing crotalid venomhyperimmunization. Twenty horses were divided into two groups: an inoculated group,comprising ten horses that were already being used for production of a Crotalus sp.antivenom, and a control group, comprising ten animals that had never been used forhyperimmunization. All animals were clinically healthy and without laboratoryabnormalities. Total protein and albumin concentrations were measured in serum. Serumglobulins were obtained by calculation. Plasma fibrinogen estimates were determined by theheat precipitation method. Serum proteinograms were obtained using agarose gelelectrophoresis. The results revealed a significant increase in the concentrations oftotal serum proteins, globulins, and β-globulins in the inoculated group, exceeding thereference values. There were slight increases in the α-1- and α-2-globulin subfractions inserum-producing horses, with no statistical significance. We also observed that horsesused to produce hyperimmune plasma developed hypoalbuminemia, although the decrease inalbumin production was not statistically significant. Our findings suggest that thecontinuous use of horses to produce crotalid antivenom may lead to a chronic inflammatorystimulus, with changes in plasma levels of inflammatory proteins.