Quantification of myonecrosis and comparison of necrotic activity of snake venoms by determination of creatine phosphokinase activity in mice sera.

Serum creatine phosphokinase (CK) values were measured in venom-injected mice. The increase of CK levels was proportional to both the amount of venom injected and the myonecrotic actions determined microscopically. The CK isoenzymes were regarded as due to the predominant increase of CK-MM, which was considered to be of skeletal muscle origin in the venom-injected area. No CK isozyme variants were found by electrophoretic examination. For a comparative study on necrotic intensity, nine snake venoms were examined. The elapid venoms induced higher values of serum CK with a stronger necrotic effect than the crotalid venoms, and the data agreed with the histological findings. On application of the antivenom, an initially elevated CK value was significantly decreased and no severe damage was observed under light microscopy. Since the changes of serum CK activities paralleled necrotic intensity, the CK value is useful as an indicator of myonecrosis due to snake venom.