EFFECT OF APIS-MELLIFERA BEE VENOM AND GAMMA-RADIATION ON BONE-MARROW CELLS OF WISTAR RATS TREATED INVIVO

To determine whether the venom of Apis mellifera can exert a radioprotective effect, by reducing the frequency of chromosome aberrations induced by radiation, five different experiments were performed on bone marrow cells of Wistar rats.Animals weighing about 100 g were injected intraperitoneally with different venom concentrations (1.0 or 0.5 mul) 1 or 24 h before, or 30 min after being submitted to 3 or 4 Gy of gamma radiation, and sacrificed 24 h after the last treatment. For each experiment in addition to the group of animals submitted to combined treatment (venom + radiation) and to their control, there was also one group treated with radiation only and another treated with venom only. A decrease in the frequency of chromosome aberrations, and fragments in particular, as well as in the number of cells with aberrations was observed in the experiments in which venom was administered 24 h before irradiation, and the effect was more marked at the higher venom concentration (1 mul/100 g weight).

AVALIACAO DO EFEITO DO VENENO DE APIS MELLIFERA EM CULTURAS DE E. COLI, S. TYPHIMURIUM E Y. ENTEROCOLITICA TRATADAS COM BLEOMICINA

Apis mellifera bee venom (Africanized honey bee) was tested for the ability to protect against the lethal effect of bleomycin, an antibiotic and antineoplastic agent. Since the radioprotective effect of the venom has been observed on the other biological systems, in the present study the venom was applied to cultures of enterobacteria treated with bleomycin, a radiomimetic agent. The venom did not act as a protective agent against bleomycin in E. coli, S. typhimurium or Y. enterocolitica.

Vasoconstrictor effect of Africanized honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) venom on rat aorta

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Study of visceral antinociceptive potential of bee Apis mellifera venom

Pain is one of the most common reasons for patients to seek medical care. Bee Apis mellifera venom (AMV) has traditionally been used to treat inflammatory diseases and the alleviation of pain. Herein, we aimed to investigate the visceral antinociceptive potential of A. mellifera bee venom and its possible mechanism of action. Acetic acid-induced writhing assay was used in mice to determine the degree of visceral antinociception. Visceral antinociceptive activity was expressed as the reduction in the number of abdominal constrictions. Mice received an intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid after administration of AMV (0.08 or 0.8 mg/kg; intraperitoneally (i.p.)). In mechanistic studies, separate experiments were realized to examine the role of α2-receptors, nitric oxide, calcium channels, K+ATP channel activation, TRPV1 and opioid receptors on the visceral antinociceptive effect of AMV (0.8 mg/kg), using appropriate antagonists, yohimbine (2 mg/kg), L-NG-Nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 mg/kg), verapamil (5 mg/kg), glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), ruthenium red (3 mg/kg) or naloxone (2 mg/kg). AMV presented visceral antinociceptive activity in both doses tested (0.08 and 0.8 mg/Kg). Visceral antinociceptive effect of AMV was resistant to all the antagonists used. Mice showed no significant alterations in locomotion frequency, indicating that the observed antinociception is not a consequence of motor abnormality. Although AMV efficient diminished the acetic acid-evoked pain-related behavior, its mechanism is unclear from this study and future studies are needed to verify how the venom exerts its antinociceptive action.

Identification of a novel melittin isoform from Africanized Apis mellifera venom

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) venom induces AIM2 inflammasome activation in human keratinocytes

Following allergen exposure, cytokines and other pro-inflammatory signals play an important role in the immunological cascade leading to allergic sensitization. Inflammasomes sense exogenous and endogenous danger signals and trigger IL-1β and IL-18 activation which in turn shape Th2 responses. Honey bee venom (BV) allergies are very common; however, the local inflammatory cascade leading to the initiation of allergic sensitization is poorly understood. In this study, the local inflammatory cascades in skin after exposure to BV were investigated.

Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera) venom profiling: Seasonal variation of melittin and phospholipase A(2) levels

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Biochemical and cytochemical studies of the enzymatic activity of the venom glands of workers of honey bee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Biochemical studies revealed that the activity of some hydrolytic enzymes from the venom glands of honey bee Apis mellifera was higher in workers of 14 days of age than in those of 40 days. Among these enzymes, the highest activity was recorded for acid phosphatase, which was cytochemically detected throughout the length of the secretory filament and surrounding the canaliculi of the distal region of the reservoir. The acid phosphatase was considered to be a typical secretion product, since it was present in the cytoplasm as well as in the canaliculi of the secretory cells. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrastructural modifications in the venom glands of workers of Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera : Apidae) promoted by topical application of juvenile hormone

The present study analyzed, the influence of the treatment with juvenile hormone on the ultrastructure of Apis mellifera L. workers' venom glands. Newly emerged workers received topical application of 1 mu l of juvenile hormone diluted in hexane, in the concentration of 2 mu g/mu l. Two controls were used; one control received no treatment (group C1) and other received topical application of 1 mu l of hexane (group C2). The aspect of the glandular cells, in not treated newly emerged workers, showed that they are not yet secreting actively. Cellular modifications happened according to the worker age and to the glandular area considered. The most active phase of the gland happened from the emergence to the 14th day. At the 25th day the cells had already lost their secretory characteristic, being the distal area the first to suffer degeneration. The treatment with juvenile hormone and hexane altered the temporal sequence of the glandular cycle, forwarding the secretory cycle and degeneration of the venom gland.

EFFECT OF PRETREATMENT WITH VENOM OF APIS-MELLIFERA BEES ON THE YIELD OF GAMMA-RAY INDUCED CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS IN HUMAN BLOOD-LYMPHOCYTES

Venom of the honey bee Apis mellifera induced a protective effect against the induction of dicentric chromosomes by gamma radiation (2.0 Gy) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes which the cultures were treated with 0.00015 mul venom/1 ml medium 6 h before irradiation. In cultures to which the venom was added immediately before irradiation with 0.25, 1.0 and 2.0 Gy, no significant differences in number of dicentric chromosomes induced was observed when compared to cultures submitted to irradiation only. The venom did not induce clastogenic effects nor did it increase the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges.

Bioinsecticide action of the venom of Africanized bees Apis mellifera Linnaeus 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae): I - The most susceptible age of Diatraea saccharalis Fabricius 1794 (Lepeletier: Pyralidae) eggs to the venom action

The present paper aimed at testing the action of non-lyophilized venom of Africanized bees Apis mellifera through topical applications on Diatraea saccharalis egg masses. The CL50, DL50 and the most susceptible age of eggs to the venom topic application were also determined. Three-day-old eggs were the most susceptible to the venom action with CL50 equal to 8.6 mg/ml and DL50 equal to 0.173 mg/mass. The venom loses its action after being stored for 15 days.

Ultramorphology and histology of the venom gland of workers of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae) before and after an electrical shock treatment

This paper describes the ultramorphology and histology of the venom reservoir in 14-day old workers of Apis mellifera, immediately before and after the application of electrical shocks with the object of causing venom elimination and reservoir collapse. The external epithelial surface of the reservoir was differentiated according to its morphological aspects into posterior, median, and proximal or duct regions at the ventral surface and into anterior and posterior regions at the dorsal surface. While the epithelium of the proximal region forms a ventral infolding, a dorsal salience is formed at this region. These structures and the epithelial regions persist both in full and empty reservoirs. The reservoir appeared full and distended before the electrical shocks were applied and became empty and withered afterwards due to the elimination of the secretion, without any reductions in length. Nevertheless, some secretion was kept inside the lumen, thus suggesting a possible role for the reservoir in the modification of the secretion.

Influence of the collection methodology on the Apis mellifera venom composition: Peptide analysis

Differences of venom peptide composition as function of two collection methodologies, electrical stimulation (ES) and reservoir disruption (RD), were analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC in Apis mellifera races - A. m. adansonii, A. m. ligustica and Africanized honeybee. The analyses were performed through determination of the relative number and percentage of each molecular form associated to the peaks eluted by chromatography. Comparison of these profiles revealed qualitative and quantitative differences related to the venom collection methodology as well to the three races analyzed. In contrast to data usually found for venom proteins, the three races presented a major number of peaks or molecular forms when venom was collected by ES. Besides, in general, the relative concentration of each peak was higher for ES in relation to RD. That indicates the presence of molecular precursors in the venom obtained by RD. The presence/absence pattern of the peaks, such as their relative concentrations showed a closer similarity between A. m. adansonii and the Africanized honeybees than that observed between these and A. m. ligustica. The obtained data allowed a discussion about the differences in the relative concentration of each venom component according to the collection methodology, and finally the biological action of the venom in different races. So, these results, apart from being useful to establish a peptide profile for each bee race as a function of the venom collection methodology, pointed out once more that the chromatographic techniques are a great tool for the identification of A. mellifera subspecies.

Anti-genotoxicity and anti-mutagenicity of Apis mellifera venom

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Hyperalgesic and edematogenic effects of Secapin-2, a peptide isolated from Africanized honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)