Serum proteins and electrophoretic profile in horses undergoing crotalid venom hyperimmunization

Indisputably, the use of antivenoms for the treatment of snakebite envenoming is beneficial for the victims. However, there are few studies addressing the effect of long-term hyperimmunization in inoculated horses. It is known that the injection of snake venoms and adjuvants leads to local and syste...

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Published in:Journal of Equine Science 2022, Vol.33(3), pp.31-35
Main Authors: Monique Gonçalves S. Novelino RAMOS, CAMPOS, Sabrina Destri Emmerick, STRAUCH, Marcelo Abrahão, OTT, Leila Cardozo, MACIEIRA, Daniel de Barros, ALENCAR, Nayro Xavier de, LESSA, Daniel Augusto Barroso
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abnormalities
Adjuvants
Albumin
Albumins
Animals
Antivenom
Electrophoresis
Fibrinogen
Gel electrophoresis
Globulins
Horses
hyperimmune plasma
Hyperimmunization
Inflammation
Plasma levels
proteinogram
Proteins
Serum proteins
Statistical analysis
Venom
Venom toxins
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Summary:Indisputably, the use of antivenoms for the treatment of snakebite envenoming is beneficial for the victims. However, there are few studies addressing the effect of long-term hyperimmunization in inoculated horses. It is known that the injection of snake venoms and adjuvants leads to local and systemic reactions in horses, but little is known about the response of inflammatory proteins. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum proteins and the electrophoretic profile of horses undergoing crotalid venom hyperimmunization. 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 for hyperimmunization. All animals were clinically healthy and without laboratory abnormalities. Total protein and albumin concentrations were measured in serum. Serum globulins were obtained by calculation. Plasma fibrinogen estimates were determined by the heat precipitation method. Serum proteinograms were obtained using agarose gel electrophoresis. The results revealed a significant increase in the concentrations of total serum proteins, globulins, and β-globulins in the inoculated group, exceeding the reference values. There were slight increases in the α-1- and α-2-globulin subfractions in serum-producing horses, with no statistical significance. We also observed that horses used to produce hyperimmune plasma developed hypoalbuminemia, although the decrease in albumin production was not statistically significant. Our findings suggest that the continuous use of horses to produce crotalid antivenom may lead to a chronic inflammatory stimulus, with changes in plasma levels of inflammatory proteins.
ISSN:1340-3516
1347-7501
DOI:10.1294/jes.33.31