Local necrotizing effect of snake venoms on skin and muscle: relationship to serum creatine kinase.

Twenty-five snake venoms were tested for their ability to induce an increase of serum creatine kinase (CK) level after i.m. injection (0.125-1.0 mg/kg) into rates. Of six Australian elapid venoms only those from Pseudechis colletti guttatus and P. australis produced a steep rise of CK-activity (30-70 times the normal value) 4 and 16 hr after injection (0.5 mg/kg). Viperid and crotalid venoms had only slight effects (2-5 times the normal value) even in doses of 1.0 mg/kg except for a sample of Crotalus adamanteus venom which caused a 20 fold increase in CK-level. From this venom a toxin of 5800 mol. wt. consisting of 50 amino acid residues was isolated. This toxin exhibited similarities in amino acid composition and in lethality to crotamine from Crotalus durissus terrificus and to a toxin from C. horridus horridus. The toxin from C. adamanteus induced some increase of CK-level in rats, but this does not account entirely for the activity of the crude venom, whereas crotamine and the toxin from C. horridus horridus were ineffective. Phospholipase A2 (fraction II) from Pseudechis colletti guttatus venom caused a dose-dependent increase of CK-level and myoglobinuria. Intradermal injection of snake venoms into mice is useful for testing hemorrhagic activity, but is too insensitive to measure necrotizing effects. Venom induced myonecrosis can be evaluated by assaying the CK-serum level and by histological examination.