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Effect of Echis colorata venom inoculation on the nervous system of the dog and guinea pig

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Summary

Dogs and guinea pigs injected with Echis colorata venom showed the following lesions in the nervous system: 1. Massive stain of nervous tissue by Trypan blue and Fluorescite indicating break down of the blood brain barrier (guinea pigs). 2. Diffusion of adenosine triphosphatase activity in the vicinity of blood vessels. 3. Increase in number of lysosomes in neurons with spread into dendrites and axons. 4. Appearance of cytolysomes within the cytoplasm of neurons. 5. Marked thiamine pyrophosphatase activity of oligodendroglia.

It is suggested that the break down of the blood brain barrier is due to damage of the capillary basement membrane. The massive thiamine pyrophosphatase activity of the oligodendroglia is supposed to be secondary to the blood brain barrier defect. The distribution of lysosomes and Golgi apparatus in the neurons seems to be related to the disturbance of the blood brain barrier.

Zusammenfassung

Hunde und Meerschweinchen, die mit Gift der Schlange Echis colorata injiziert wurden, zeigten folgende Läsionen im Nervensystem: 1. Massive Anfärbung des Nervengewebes durch Trypanblau und Fluorescite, was auf den Zusammenbruch der Blut-Hirn-Schranke hinweist (Meerschweinchen). 2. Diffusion der Adenosin-Triphosphatase-Aktivität in die Umgebung der Blutgefäße. 3. Numerische Zunahme der Lysosomen in den Neuronen mit Ausbreitung in Dendriten und Axone. 4. Auftreten von Cytolysomen im Cytoplasma der Neurone. 5. Deutliche Thiamin-Pyrophosphatase-Aktivität der Oligodendroglia.

Es wird angenommen, daß der Zusammenbruch der Blut-Hirn-Schranke einer Schädigung der Basalmembran der Capillaren entspricht. Die starke Thiamin-Pyrophosphatase-Aktivität der Oligodendroglia ist wahrscheinlich sekundär zum Blut-Hirn-Schrankendefekt. Die Verteilung der Lysosomen und Golgi-Apparate in den Neuronen scheint in Beziehung zur Störung der Blut-Hirn-Schranke zu stehen.

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This work was supported by Grant No. AI-03171 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, U.S.A.

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Sandbank, U., Djaldetti, M. Effect of Echis colorata venom inoculation on the nervous system of the dog and guinea pig. Acta Neuropathol 6, 61–69 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691082

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691082

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