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Myotoxins are proteins that cause muscle necrosis. Principally found in snake venoms, their myotoxic activity can be monitored by morphological analysis and by the increase of plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity which results from sarcolemmal damage due to myotoxic components of the venom. Venom-induced myotoxicity occurs in two clinical patterns: local myotoxicity, characteristic of viperid snakebites, which affects predominantly the muscles located in the vicinity of the region where venom is injected, and systemic myotoxicity. The causes widespread muscle damage associated with generalized myalgia, and large increments in the plasma activity of muscle-derived enzymes, such as creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobinuria. |
 3D-structure view (PDB 1H5O) of the myotoxin crotamine. |
See also UniProtKB-keyword.