AUTHOR=de Miranda Ana Luísa Soares , Lima Sabrina de Almeida , Botelho Ana Flávia Machado , Gomes Campos Marco Túlio , Eckstein Camila , Minozzo João Carlos , Chávez-Olórtegui Carlos Delfin , Soto-Blanco Benito 

TITLE=Protective Effectiveness of an Immunization Protocol Against the Toxic Effects of Loxosceles intermedia Venom in Rabbits

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.852917

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2022.852917

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Loxosceles</italic> spp. (brown spiders) bites are responsible for the development of a syndrome consisting mainly of dermonecrotic lesions, and also systemic effects. Rabbits are one of the main experimental models used for better understanding the systemic and local effects of <italic>Loxosceles</italic> venom. The aim of this study is to evaluate the toxic and protective effects of rabbits immunized with <italic>Loxosceles</italic> spp. venom. Male New Zealand rabbits were allocated as a control group (CG; <italic>n</italic> = 5) that received adjuvant (Montanide) and phosphate-buffer saline (PBS), or as venom group (VG; <italic>n</italic> = 5) that received 21 μg of <italic>Loxosceles</italic> venom using Montanide as adjuvant. After five immunization cycles, a trial with 7 μg of <italic>Loxosceles intermedia</italic> (<italic>L</italic>. <italic>intermedia</italic>) venom was performed, and dermonecrotic lesions were measured. The rabbits were then euthanized, and their organs were collected for histopathology analysis. Rabbits that had undergone <italic>Loxosceles</italic> venom immunization protocol showed minor clinical disturbances during the experimental period. The used immunization protocol protected the rabbits against the toxic effect of the <italic>Loxosceles</italic> venom because they showed minor clinical disturbances during the experimental period.</p>