Abstract

WASP VENOM TOXIN INDUCED HEMATOLOGICAL CHANGES IN ALBINO MICE

Krishna Kumar Prajapati* and Ravi Kant Upadhyay

Abstract

In present investigation hematological effects of Yellow wasp Polistes flavus were determined in albino mice. Venom gland extract was purified on a Sepharose CL 6B 200 gel column at a constant flow rate in regular fractions. Pooled fractions were lyophilized and subsequently LD50 was determined. The LD50 of the yellow wasp Polistes flavus venom protein was found 36.11 mg/kilogram body weight i.e., 0.03611 mg/gram body weight of albino mice. For visualizing hematological effects physiological or sub-lethal dose was administered in laboratory reared albino mice. The hemoglobin level in blood was significantly increased to maximum level i.e., 101.9%, 103.90%, 107.8% and 122.5% of the control at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 hour of treatment of 40% of 24-h LD50 respectively. The number of red blood cells (RBCs) was decreased to 71.0% and 69.8% while numbers of the total white blood cells (WBCs) was increased to 136.3% and 132.6% of the control after 10 hours of treatment of 40% and 80% of 24-h LD50 respectively. The level of mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) was increased to 123.4% and 128.90% of the control at 8 hours of treatment with 40% and 80% of 24-h LD50 of wasp venom. While the level of mean corpuscular hemoglobin decreased to 116.2% and 113.29% of the control after 10 hours of treatment with 40% and 80% of 24-h of LD50 of wasp venom toxins. Low molecular weight toxic peptides ranging from 14.3-63 kDa were identified in wasp venom with strong cytotoxic action that caused intra-vascular hemolysis of RBCs, leucocytes, platelets and vascular endothelium. The sub-lethal venom doses (1/4 and 1/2 LD50) has induced unenviable increase in level of MCV, MCH, PCV, WBCs and show heavy RBC hemolysis and damage nerve cells.

Keywords: Polistes flavus, venom toxins, RBCs, WBCs, PCV, MCV, MCH and plasma hemoglobin.