BIOCHEMICAL-ANALYSIS OF DEGENERATION AND REGENERATION IN RAT SOLEUS MUSCLE INDUCED BY VENOM FROM 3 SUBSPECIES OF DABOIA-RUSSELLI

To develop a clearer understanding of the biochemical mechanism of muscle degeneration and regeneration induced by a single dose of D. r. pulchella, D. r. russelli or D. r. siamensis venoms, we have correlated changes in the levels of a series of muscle structural proteins and proteolytic enzymes; the sequence of changes were broadly similar, although some differences were notes in relative myotoxicity and regeneration efficiency. The data suggest that activation of cathepsins B, L and D, and leucyl aminopeptidase may be of particular importance in the early stages of structural protein degradation, and are thus potential therapeutic targets to prevent myonecrosis following envenomation.