We have observed the peculiar vacuolar degeneration in the heart muscles of Guinea pigs injected some toxics substances : venom from Habu-snake (Trimeresurus flavoviridis, ) Mamushi-snake (Agkistrodon halys) and diphtheria-toxin.
Of our many experimental cases, in which the quantity of the venom was variously tried, diffuse myocardial hydropic vacuolar degenerations were gained only at the rate of Habu-snake venom…… 2/12 (50γ and 100γ dry weight : injected intramuscularly; the animals were killed in 5 and 72 hours respectively).Mamushi-snake venom ……1/8 (40mg dry weight;injected intramus-cularly, the animals died in 6 hours). Diphtheria-toxin ……5/7 (after 7 days' continuous administration of 5mg hydrocortisone. the animals received 3mid diphtheriatoxin intramuscularly, and died in 48-96hours).
Pathological changes in these three groups were almost similar. The first damaged area was in the subendocardium; when the pathological changes was rather extensive, the damaged area occupied as wide as 1/3 of the total myocardium on the cut surface. The heart-muscle enlarged, myoplasm almost disappeared except on the fringe, and the greater part of the myofibrils were degenerated and lost.
Not all of our experimental cases showed such changes : and even when the dosis was sublethal, we observed the changes similar to those of the death cases. It is supposed that these changes result from hypoxydosis due to functional failure of the vascular vessels and metabolic imbalances in the whole body caused by primary or secondary effect of these toxic substances.
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