An in vivo assessment of inflammatory and oxidative stress responses in Echis ocellatus-venom induced cardiotoxicity

Echis ocellatus is one of the many viper species that accounts for severe pathophysiological alterations in tissues of organs after envenoming. However, limited information regarding the potential cardiac toxicity due to viper envenoming is available. This current study investigated cardiotoxicity associated with E. ocellatus envenoming in rat model. Twenty (20) male Wistar rats weighing between 140 and 180 g were divided randomly into two groups (n = 10). Rats in group 1 (control) were injected with saline while rats in group 2 were envenomed intraperitoneally with 0.055 mg/kg⁻¹ (LD_6.25) of E. ocellatus venom. The rats were envenomed on day 1 with a repeated dose administered on day 15, afterwards the animals were monitored till day 30. The venom caused significant (P < 0.05) reduction in body and heart weights including the heart index of envenomed rats compared to the control. Levels of malondialdehyde significantly (P < 0.05) increased with decrease in glutathione concentration and catalase activity in heart tissues of envenomed rats. E. ocellatus venom elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines response as levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin1-beta significantly (P < 0.05) increased in cardiac tissues of the envenomed rats compared to control. The venom induced severe morphological defects in the heart tissues of envenomed rats indicating that E. ocellatus venom could actuate cardiotoxicity post envenoming.