• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.5-24
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• 2011

Objective: This study was performed to analyse four weeks repeated -dose toxicity of Sweet Bee Venom (SBV-pure melittin, the major component of honey bee venom) in rats. Methods: All experiments were conducted under the regulations of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) at Biotoxtech Company, a non-clinical study authorized institution. Male and female rats of 5 weeks old were chosen for the pilot study of four weeks repeated-dose toxicity and was injected at the level of 0.56 mg/kg body weight (eighty times higher than the clinical application dosage as the high dosage), followed by 0.28 and 0.14 mg/kg as midium and low dosage, respectively. Equal amount of normal saline was injected as the control group every day for four weeks. Results: 1. No mortality was witnessed in all of the experiment groups. 2. All experiment groups appealed pain sense in the treating time compared to the control group, and side effects such as hyperemia and movement disorder were observed around the area of injection in all experiment groups, and the higher dosage in treatment, the higher occurrence in side effects. 3. Concerning weight measurement, neither male nor female groups showed significant changes compared to the control group. 4. Concerning to the CBC and biochemistry, all experiment groups didn't show any significant changes compared to the control group. 5. Concerning weight measurement of organs, experiment groups didn't show any significant changes compared to the control group. 6. To verify abnormalities of organs and tissues, those such as cerebellum, cerebrum, liver, lung, kidney, and spinal cords were removed and we conducted histologocal observation with H-E staining. Concerning the histologocal observation of liver tissues, some fatty changes were observed around portal vein in 0.56 mg/kg experiment group. But another organs were not detected in any abnormalities. 7. The proper high dosage of SBV for the thirteen weeks repeated test in rats may be 0.28 mg/kg in one time. Conclusion: Above findings suggest that SBV is relatively safe treatment medium. Further studies on the subject should be conducted to yield more concrete evidences.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.313-317
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• 2011

The effects of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) on intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization and cellular function in RBL 2H3 cells were investigated. Exposure to EMF (60 Hz, 0.1 or 1 mT) for 4 or 16 h did not produce any cytotoxic effects in RBL 2H3 cells. Melittin, ionomycin and thapsigargin each dose-dependently increased the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. The increase of intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ induced by these three agents was not affected by exposure to EMF (60 Hz, 1 mT) for 4 or 16 h in RBL 2H3 cells. To investigate the effect of EMF on exocytosis, we measured beta-hexosaminidase release in RBL 2H3 cells. Basal release of beta-hexosaminidase was $12.3{\pm}2.3%$ in RBL 2H3 cells. Exposure to EMF (60 Hz, 0.1 or 1 mT) for 4 or 16 h did not affect the basal or $1{\mu}m$ melittin-induced beta-hexosaminidase release in RBL 2H3 cells. This study suggests that exposure to EMF (60 Hz, 0.1 or 1 mT), which is the limit of occupational exposure, has no influence on intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization and cellular function in RBL 2H3 cells.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1078-1084
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• 1999

A synthetic cecropin A(1-13)-melittin(1-13) [CA-ME] hybrid peptide was known to be an antimicrobial peptide having strong antibacterial, antifungal and antitumor activity with minimal cytotoxic effect against human erythrocyte. Analogues were synthesized to investigate the influences of the flexible hinge region of CA-ME on the antibiotic activity. Antibiotic activity of the peptides was measured by the growth inhibition against bac-terial, fungal and tumor cells and vesicle-aggregating or disrupting activity. The deletion of Gln-Gly-Ile (P1) or Gly-Gln-Gly-Ile-Gly (P3) from CA-ME brought about a significant decrease on the antibiotic activities. In contrast, Gly-Ile-Gly deletion (P2) from CA-ME or Pro insertion (P5) instead of Gly-Gln-Gly-Ile-Gly of CA-ME retained antibiotic activity. This result indicated that the flexible hinge or β-bend structure provided by Gly-Gln-Gly-Ile-Gly, Gln-Gly, or Pro in the central region of the peptides is requisite for its effective antibiotic activity and may facilitate easily the hydrophobic C-terminal region of the peptide to penetrate the lipid bilayers of the target cell membrane. In contrast, P4 and P6 with Gly-Gln-Gly-Pro-Gly or Gly-Gln-Pro in the central region of the peptide caused a drastic reduction on the antibiotic activities. This result suggested that the con-secutive β-bend structure provided by Gly-Gln-Gly-Pro-Gly or Gly-Gln-Pro in the central hinge region of the peptide seems to interrupt the ion channel/pore formation on the target cell membranes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.335-337
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• 1997

In this study, we show a convenient MTT assay for detect the susceptibility of yeast-like form of Trichosporon beigelii against antifungal agents. This assay was developed based on mitocondrial respiration by determining reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) to formazan. Cells of T beigelii are seeded into 96-well microtiter plates, and antifungal agents, amphotericin B, magainin and CA-ME hybrid peptide were added with various concentrations. After 24 hr incubation, MTT was added, then incubations were continued for 4 hr. Formazan formation was quantified photometrically after extraction of the formazan with acid sodium dodesyl sulfate (SDS). From this assay, we could obtained MICs of antifungal agents against T. beigelii. The presented method can easily be used as an effective methods to assess the antiftingal action of various agents on yeasts with minimal amounts of antifungal agents.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.151.2-152
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• 2003

Bee venom (BV) has been utilized to relieve pain and to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). BV contains a variety of different peptides including melittin, apamin, adolapin and mast cell degranulating (MCD) peptide. In addition, it also contains enzyme (i.e. phospholipase A2), biologically active amines and non-peptide components. (omitted)

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.405-409
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• 2005

To investigate anti-inflammatory activity of Noni extracts, we measured the phospholipase $A_2$ activity using both in vitro and in vivo system. Water soluble fraction of Noni extracts did not affect melittin-induced arachidonic acid release, whereas lipid soluble fraction inhibited it in a dose dependent manner in Raw 264.7 cells. The purified phos­pholipase $A_2$ activity was dose-dependently inhibited by lipid soluble fraction of Noni extracts but not by its water soluble fraction. Lipid peroxidation, myeloperoxidase and phospholipase $A_2$ activity in incised skin of mice were significantly increased as compared with those in non-incised skin, and these increase was attenuated by the treatment with Noni pow­der. Our data suggest that Noni extracts has anti-inflammatory activity, and this is, in part, caused by inhibitory activity of phospholipase $A_2$.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.6-9
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• 2014

This study was for the investigation of the stability of purified bee venom (PBV) during the treatment in the pH range from pH2 to pH9 for 24 hours, respectively. Changes of components and physiological functionalities in PBV were by evaluated silver staining, and melittin contents were measured by liquid chromatography. The antimicrobial activity against bacteria by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and effect of the cell regeneration were measured by 3-[4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay using human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell. The main proteins such as melittin and phospholipase $A_2$ showed no characteristic changes. The antimicrobial activity and effect of cell regeneration showed no difference from pH2 to pH9. From this study, we suggest that components and physiological functionalities of PBV against treated pH were kept stability at from pH2 to pH9.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2015

Objectives : Previous studies have shown that the amount of melittin, the main active ingredient in bee venom pharmacopuncture, tends to decrease substantially with time during pharmacopuncture manufacture. This study aimed to assess whether the stability of bee venom pharmacopuncture improved with pharmacopuncture additives. Methods : Components were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Acute toxicity and antigenicity tests by subcutaneous and venous routes were conducted at Korea Pharmaceutical Test & Research Institute and mortality, adverse reactions, and body weight changes were assessed. Results : Stability tests using additives revealed that bee venom without additives was most stable. Bee venom pharmacopuncture without additives was further tested for toxicity in subcutaneous and venous administration in mice and no changes pertaining to toxicity were found over the testing period. Conclusions : Bee venom pharmacopuncture without additives was found to be most stable, and further, it did not show toxicity or antigenicity in subcutaneous and venous administration in mice.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2015

In the present study, we proposed a simple ESI-MS model for determining $Zn^{2+}$ binding (or dissociation) constants for zinc finger peptides (ZFPs) with a unique ${\beta}{\beta}{\alpha}$ fold consensus. The ionization efficiency (response) factors for this model, i.e., ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$, could be determined for ZiCo ZFP with a known $Zn^{2+}$ binding constant. We could determine the binding constants for other ZFPs assuming those with a ${\beta}{\beta}{\alpha}$ consensus conformation have the same ${\alpha}/{\beta}$ response ratio. In general, the ZPF dissociation constants exhibited $K_d$ values of $10^{-7}{\sim}10^{-9}M$, while $K_d$ values for a negative control non-specific $Zn^{2+}$ peptides were high, e.g., $5.5{\times}10^{-6}M$ and $4.3{\times}10^{-4}M$ for BBA1 and melittin, respectively.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2006

Enterococcus faecalis was isolated from the body fluid of dead Galleria mellonella larvae. Upon injection of E. faecalis into the hemocoel of G. mellonella, the bacteria destroyed parts of humoral defense systems in the hemolymph. In a test for the proteolytic activity of E. faecalis CS, it was confirmed that the enzyme degraded three well-known a-helical antimicrobial peptides, cecropin A, melittin and halocidin, and abolished their activities. We also determined putative cleavage sites on the primary sequences of three peptides through purification and mass analysis of peptide fragments digested by E. faecalis CS. Furthermore it was found that apolipophorin-III, recently known as a critical recognition protein for invading microbes in the hemolymph of G. mellonella, was also degraded by E. faecalis CS. Taken together, the present work shows that the protease in secretions from E. faecalis destroyed two critical humoral immune factors in the hemolymph of G. mellonella larvae. In addition, this paper demonstrates that the relationship between the host insect and the pathogenic bacteria might provide a valuable model system to study the enterococcal virulence mechanism, which may be relevant to mammalian pathogenesis.