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THE EFFECTS OF THE SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTION OF THE CRUDE VENOM OF THE AUSTRALIAN COMMON BROWN SNAKE, Pseudonaja textilis ON THE SKELETAL NEUROMUSCULAR SYSTEM
Author(s) -
HARRIS J.B.,
MALTIN C.A.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1981.tb16785.x
Subject(s) - venom , postsynaptic potential , anatomy , neuromuscular junction , snake venom , myotoxin , hindlimb , excitatory postsynaptic potential , neuromuscular transmission , electrophysiology , carbachol , biology , chemistry , anesthesia , pharmacology , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , medicine , endocrinology , neuroscience , biochemistry , stimulation , receptor
1 The effects of the crude venom of the Australian common brown snake on the mammalian neuromuscular system have been investigated. 2 The venom was injected subcutaneously into the dorso‐lateral aspect of one hind limb of the rat. The limb was paralysed within 90 min and remained paralysed for 2 to 3 days. 3 The exposed muscles failed to respond to indirect excitation, and individual fibres were not depolarized at the nerve‐muscle junction by exposure to carbachol. 4 The wet weight, histological appearance, resting potential and input resistance of the muscle fibres and their ability to generate directly elicited action potentials were unaffected by exposure to the venom. 5 Administration of venom to isolated preparations caused a reduction in the amplitude of miniature endplate potentials, with no change in frequency. The quantal content of evoked endplate potentials was unchanged. 6 It was concluded that the crude venom was largely devoid of presynaptic activity and myotoxicity, and that its primary site of neurotoxicity was directed to the postsynaptic membrane.