Crotalus durissus cascavella (Cdc) venom acute lung injury: Unveiling clinical implications through a murine experimental model

Snake venom exhibits a wide range of biological activities, encompassing neurotoxic, myotoxic, hematologic, and cytotoxic components, which can lead to severe systemic consequences. We performed a randomized experimental study with 72 animals divided into two groups: i) the control group (CG), which received an intraperitoneal saline solution, and ii) the experimental group (EG), which received Cdc venom. At specific time intervals, the animals were euthanized, and lung tissue samples were collected for histological analysis. Additional data and methodological information have been published at DOI:10.3390/toxins15040282. The CG exhibited no inflammatory changes in the pulmonary parenchyma. The EG displayed noticeable alterations after just three hours, including interstitial and alveolar swelling, necrosis, and septal losses, followed by alveolar distensions and areas of atelectasis in the pulmonary parenchyma. Morphometric analysis in the EG revealed the presence of inflammatory infiltrates at all time intervals, with significant differences observed at 3h and 6h (p=0.035) and 6h and 12h (p=0.006). Areas of necrosis were significant at intervals of 1h and 24h (p=0.001), 1h and 48h (p=0.001), and 3h and 48h (p=0.035). Clinicians should remain vigilant regarding the potential for extensive alveolar and vascular injury, which could lead to hypoxemia within the initial hours following venom exposure. Assessing alveolar collapse and the severity of venom-induced lung damage through lung imaging can offer valuable clinical insights. Further investigation is necessary to enhance the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of snakebite envenomation.