[Central action of snake venoms on body temperature in rats].

Experiments on rats were made to study the effect on the body temperature of the rat of intracerebroventricular injection of venoms of Indian cobra, North American rattle snake, and Central Asian shchitomordnik. It was established that the rise of rectal temperature by 1.5-2.0 degrees C after 90 min was evoked by cobra venom alone. That increase in the body temperature was not prevented by pretreatment with the protein synthesis inhibitors anisomycin or cycloheximide, but was completely abolished by intraperitoneal injection of sodium salicylate. The reduction of hyperthermia was also attained with intracerebroventricular injection of the prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor valtoren as well as with subsequent (following snake venom) injections of arecoline or calcium ions.