Nitric oxide slows the reaction of snake venom

In some regions of our country, specifically in the rural zones , the bites of snakes They are very common. Unfortunately, timely attention is not always possible and the victims die hopelessly This problem is not exclusive to Mexico, but to several nations in which these reptiles are part of diverse ecosystems. It is because of them that Australian scientists dedicated to research in biomedicine, made a surprising find

A chemical compound that is used in cardiac patients would increase the chances of survival of snakebite victims. In an article published in the magazine Nature Medicine, the researchers indicated that the chemical Nitric oxide can slow down to 50% the time it takes to poison of a snake entering the bloodstream. With that extra time, victims can seek medical help, noted the author Dirk van Helden , professor at the School of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Newcastle , in Australia.

"When one is bitten by a snake, the toxins They are large molecules and can be inserted into tissues. They can not enter the blood vessels because they are too large. That is why they are taken by the lymphatic system, which carries them into the bloodstream. The idea is to close the lymphatic flow; we tried and that drastically slowed the lymphatic flow in rats and also in humans, "he added. van Helden .

While this discovery does not yet have practical or commercial applications as such, due to the nature and purpose of the chemical in question, is a good start for research on prevention . Maybe in a few years we can talk about a medicine more accessible than the serum that is currently used to counteract the viper venom .

Source: La Jornada


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