Hemolytic effect of Vipera ammodytes subspecies venom and it’s cytogenotoxicity on the human lymphocites

In this paper, special attention was paid to the effect of snake venom on the erythrocytes of humans and horses and on human lymphocytes. The damage caused by a certain amount of snake venom is ascertained. After the snake venom was added to blood, the number of erythrocytes changed. The main reason for the usage of whole blood in the experiment is getting a complete insight into the effect of the poison. Obtained results point out that Vipera ammodytes venom has a hemolytic effect, and that effect varies between individuals. It was observed that the hemolytic effect of the venom destroys blood elements to a certain extent. Special attention was also given to the degree of agglutination. Statistically significant hemolytic effects tend to occur in horses (Equus caballus) (p < 0.5), while lower are observed in human blood. In the present study, experiments were carried out to evaluate the strong mutagenic and cytotoxic potential and genotoxic effects of Vipera ammodytes venom and its isolated toxins on human lymphocytes using cell culture as a method. We detected cells that have micronuclei, two or more nuclei, nuclear bridges, unregular cell divisions, full lysis of the cells (depending on the concentration), etc. Some cells aborted the nucleus and part of the cytoplasm. There is still just a small number of studies regarding the cytogenetic toxicology of snake venoms and their isolated protein compounds. Our work may contribute to a better understanding of snake venom’s effects on human cells, which could be useful for therapeutic purposes.