Histopathological study of Hemiscorpius lepturus venom injection in sheep

    Scorpionism is a common problem that occurs in tropical and subtropical countries. Hemiscorpius lepturus is one of the most dangerous scorpion species, endemic in Khuzestan. The aim of the current study was to clarify the possible histopathological implications due to injection of H. lepturus scorpion venom in sheep. The study performed on 12 native male sheep in which the age and weight average were about 6 months and 20.72±1.61 Kg respectively. Four groups (3 rams in each group) were chosen randomly (1 group as control and the other 3, as experimental groups). Three doses of H. lepturus venom included: 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg BW were injected subcutaneously into the three experimental groups and just 1 mL of distilled water were injected to control group as the same way. After death or after 72 hours, the animals were subjected to necropsy. In most animals, histopathological evidence of lesions, were confined in the liver and skeletal muscles (injection site), whereas the other injuries such as in brain and urinary bladder lesions were at minimum. Lesions such as petechiae (at necropsy), hemorrhage and congestion (in histopathology), which may due to vascular injuries were seen in various organs (such as liver, kidney, lung, bowel and heart). These findings may be due to vascular injuries. Vascular injuries were also the reason of edema in many organs. The results showed that the pathological lesions were existed at least in two parts of the studied organs in  the sheep receiving venom. Existence of the leisons imply that the venom of H. lepturus scorpion is dangerous in sheep and serious complications such as death will take place.