Bee venom （BV） was used from long time ago in the medical field as treatment of chronic joint affections. In the recent decades, the screening process of new sources of antimicrobials discovers its high advantageous...Bee venom （BV） was used from long time ago in the medical field as treatment of chronic joint affections. In the recent decades, the screening process of new sources of antimicrobials discovers its high advantageous characteristics for combating various types of microbes, as well as trials to discover its anti-cancer medicinal fields. Lumpy skin disease virus （LSDV） causes disease in cattle of economic importance, and this work aimed to find treatment as well as alternative inactivant for LSDV. The use of bee venom as antiviral was experimented in this work and exhibited satisfied inhibitory effects on LSDV, meanwhile, the antigenic properties was still intact. The viability of virus was tested in tissue culture cells lines and in embryonated chicken eggs. According to doses and time of exposure, the cell lines of Hep-2 （human larynx carcinoma） and MCF7 （breast carcinoma cell line） were treated with different concentrations of BV and examined after 24 h post-inoculation. The Hep-2 and MCF7 cell lines were treated with various concentrations of BV in descending doses as follow： 25, 20, 15, 10, 5 and 0.5 ug/mL of BV. Then bee venom pathological effects on Hep-2 cells and MCF7 cells were observed, such as apoptosis, retarded growths and cytolysis. The results indicate the possibilities of using bee venom as anti-neoplastic and antiviral.展开更多
The venom apparatus in the large carpenter bees, Xylocopafenestrata （Fabricius） （Hymenoptera： Apidae） has been studied It consists of typical parts, i.e., the venom sac, free filament, Dufour gland, sting shaft a...The venom apparatus in the large carpenter bees, Xylocopafenestrata （Fabricius） （Hymenoptera： Apidae） has been studied It consists of typical parts, i.e., the venom sac, free filament, Dufour gland, sting shaft and accessory sclerites. It is highly sclerotized and concealed by the 7th abdominal tergite and sternite. The venom sac serves as a reservoir for the venom which synthesized by the convoluted gland present in it, which is remarkably uniform to that of ants. The median duct extends from lower portion of venom sac, which measures 2.5 ±0.17 mm （mean ＋ SD） （n = 20） in length. The Dufour gland is a tube-like structure which is inserted in the sting-bulb. The triangular plate is attached at terminal portion of rami, which is in turn attached with lancets. The gonostyli are paired long and tubular structure with 5.29 ± 0.23 mm （n = 20） in length. The sting length is 5.29 ±0.23 mm （n = 20）. The fulcral arm is well-developed with an inverse Y-shaped structure present beneath the sting-bulb. Barbs on the sting shaft are weakly developed in X fenestrata but well developed in ants. The venom apparatus ofX. fenestrata when compared is similar to the bees but differs from that of the wasps and ants.展开更多
This article deals with the presenting of diplomatic gifts around the 7th Century from the Roman Empire in the East （i.e. the Byzantine Empire）, and among these a kind of medication supposedly capable of curing all ...This article deals with the presenting of diplomatic gifts around the 7th Century from the Roman Empire in the East （i.e. the Byzantine Empire）, and among these a kind of medication supposedly capable of curing all sorts of illnesses, theriac. The links between these uses and Taoist expectations regarding ever-lasting life are discussed herein in the context of that diplomatic mission. It explores the different understandings of what theriac meant in the Byzantine and in the Tang courts. This sheds light on the kind of different misunderstandings, sometimes of an ironical nature, which may happen in intercultural contacts of political-diplomatic nature.展开更多
In this paper, four recent advances and achievements of China in agricultural insect research, namely, on the genome of silkworm (Bombyx mori Linnaeus), on the geographical differentiation and regional migration of co...In this paper, four recent advances and achievements of China in agricultural insect research, namely, on the genome of silkworm (Bombyx mori Linnaeus), on the geographical differentiation and regional migration of cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)), on the standardized monitoring techniques for safety of honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) products, and on the virus transmission property of small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén)) as well as the interactions between vector and rice stripe virus (RSV), were reported. All of these researches are very important for controlling agricultural insect pests and the diseases they transmit, accelerating the molecular biological research of silkworm, and promoting the international trade of honey bee products. Most of these achievements mentioned above have got the national, provincial, ministerial or municipal awards on science and technology.展开更多
Preproapamin genes were amplified by RT-PCR from total RNA from the venom glands of 2 honeybee species, Apis mellifera, A. cerana cerana, and 4 wasp species, Vespa magnifica, V. velutina nigrothorax and Polistes hebra...Preproapamin genes were amplified by RT-PCR from total RNA from the venom glands of 2 honeybee species, Apis mellifera, A. cerana cerana, and 4 wasp species, Vespa magnifica, V. velutina nigrothorax and Polistes hebraeus, respectively. Their PCR products were ligated into pGEM -T easy vector and the nucleotide sequences analyzed. The six fragments were all 141?bp in length and contained a n ORF coding the precursor of apamin. The apamin precursors of V. magnifica, V. velutina nigrothorax and P. hebraeus had 95% and 93% similarity with that of A. melliera in nucleotide and amino acid sequences, respectively. That of Vespu la maculifrons was identical to that of A. mellifera in nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Apamin precursors of V. magnifica, P. hebraeus and V. velutina nigrothorax also had the same nucleotide sequences. The nucleotide sequences o f preproapamin genes from the Chinese honeybee, A. cerana cerana and 4 wasp sp ecies are described for the first time. A notable discovery was that the wasps species had exactly same apamins as the honeybees despite the fact they belong to different insect families.展开更多
Objective Melittin （MEL） is a major component of bee venom and can produce both persistent spontaneous nociception and pain hypersensitivity when injected subcutaneously in the periphery. The present study aimed to ...Objective Melittin （MEL） is a major component of bee venom and can produce both persistent spontaneous nociception and pain hypersensitivity when injected subcutaneously in the periphery. The present study aimed to examine the roles of transient receptor potential canonical （TRPC） channels in mediation of MEL-indueed activation of primary nociceptive cells. Methods Whole-cell patch-clamp and laser scanning confocal calcium detection were used to evalu- ate the effects of SKF-96365, a TRPC inhibitor, applied on the acutely isolated dorsal root ganglion （DRG） cells of rat, on MEL-induced increase in intracellular calcium concentration （[Ca2＋]i） and inward current. Results Under voltage- clamp mode, 43.9% （40/91） DRG cells were evoked to give rise to the inward current by 2 pmol/L MEL, which could be significantly suppressed by 3 doses of SKF-96365 （1, 5 and 10μmol/L） in a dose-dependent manner. Of the other 210 cells, 67.6% responded to MEL with an intracellular Ca2＋ rise, as revealed by confocal calcium imaging. Of these MEL- sensitive cells, 46.5% （66/142） were suppressed by the highest dose of SKF-96365. Conclusion MEL-induced activation of small to medium-sized DRG cells can be suppressed by SKF-96365, suggesting the involvement of TRPC channels in the mediation of MEL-induced activation of primary nociceptive cells.展开更多
Bee venom phospholipase A2(BvPLA2) is a lipolytic enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the sn-2 acyl bond of glycerophospholipids to liberate free fatty acids and lysophospholipids.In this work,a new BvPLA2(AccPLA2...Bee venom phospholipase A2(BvPLA2) is a lipolytic enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the sn-2 acyl bond of glycerophospholipids to liberate free fatty acids and lysophospholipids.In this work,a new BvPLA2(AccPLA2) gene from the Chinese honeybee(Apis cerana cerana) venom glands was inserted into bacmid to construct a recombinant transfer vector.Tn-5B-4(Tn) cells were transfected with the recombinant bacmid DNA for expression.Sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE) analysis revealed a double band with molecular weights of 16 and 18 kDa.Products of hexahistidine AccPLA2 fusion protein accumulated up to 5.32% of the total cellular proteins.The AccPLA2 fusion protein was cross reactive with the anti-AmPLA2(BvPLA2 of the European honeybee,Apis mellifera) polyclonal serum.The reaction resulted in a double glycosylation band,which agrees with the band generated by the native AmPLA2 in Western blot analysis.The PLA2 activity of the total extracted cellular protein in the hydrolyzing egg yolk is about 3.16 μmol/(min·mg).In summary,the recombinant AccPLA2 protein,a native BvPLA2-like structure with corresponding biological activities,can be glycosylated in Tn cells.These findings provided fundamental knowledge for potential genetic engineering to produce AccPLA2 in the pharmaceutical industry.展开更多
文摘Bee venom （BV） was used from long time ago in the medical field as treatment of chronic joint affections. In the recent decades, the screening process of new sources of antimicrobials discovers its high advantageous characteristics for combating various types of microbes, as well as trials to discover its anti-cancer medicinal fields. Lumpy skin disease virus （LSDV） causes disease in cattle of economic importance, and this work aimed to find treatment as well as alternative inactivant for LSDV. The use of bee venom as antiviral was experimented in this work and exhibited satisfied inhibitory effects on LSDV, meanwhile, the antigenic properties was still intact. The viability of virus was tested in tissue culture cells lines and in embryonated chicken eggs. According to doses and time of exposure, the cell lines of Hep-2 （human larynx carcinoma） and MCF7 （breast carcinoma cell line） were treated with different concentrations of BV and examined after 24 h post-inoculation. The Hep-2 and MCF7 cell lines were treated with various concentrations of BV in descending doses as follow： 25, 20, 15, 10, 5 and 0.5 ug/mL of BV. Then bee venom pathological effects on Hep-2 cells and MCF7 cells were observed, such as apoptosis, retarded growths and cytolysis. The results indicate the possibilities of using bee venom as anti-neoplastic and antiviral.
文摘The venom apparatus in the large carpenter bees, Xylocopafenestrata （Fabricius） （Hymenoptera： Apidae） has been studied It consists of typical parts, i.e., the venom sac, free filament, Dufour gland, sting shaft and accessory sclerites. It is highly sclerotized and concealed by the 7th abdominal tergite and sternite. The venom sac serves as a reservoir for the venom which synthesized by the convoluted gland present in it, which is remarkably uniform to that of ants. The median duct extends from lower portion of venom sac, which measures 2.5 ±0.17 mm （mean ＋ SD） （n = 20） in length. The Dufour gland is a tube-like structure which is inserted in the sting-bulb. The triangular plate is attached at terminal portion of rami, which is in turn attached with lancets. The gonostyli are paired long and tubular structure with 5.29 ± 0.23 mm （n = 20） in length. The sting length is 5.29 ±0.23 mm （n = 20）. The fulcral arm is well-developed with an inverse Y-shaped structure present beneath the sting-bulb. Barbs on the sting shaft are weakly developed in X fenestrata but well developed in ants. The venom apparatus ofX. fenestrata when compared is similar to the bees but differs from that of the wasps and ants.
文摘This article deals with the presenting of diplomatic gifts around the 7th Century from the Roman Empire in the East （i.e. the Byzantine Empire）, and among these a kind of medication supposedly capable of curing all sorts of illnesses, theriac. The links between these uses and Taoist expectations regarding ever-lasting life are discussed herein in the context of that diplomatic mission. It explores the different understandings of what theriac meant in the Byzantine and in the Tang courts. This sheds light on the kind of different misunderstandings, sometimes of an ironical nature, which may happen in intercultural contacts of political-diplomatic nature.
文摘In this paper, four recent advances and achievements of China in agricultural insect research, namely, on the genome of silkworm (Bombyx mori Linnaeus), on the geographical differentiation and regional migration of cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner)), on the standardized monitoring techniques for safety of honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) products, and on the virus transmission property of small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén)) as well as the interactions between vector and rice stripe virus (RSV), were reported. All of these researches are very important for controlling agricultural insect pests and the diseases they transmit, accelerating the molecular biological research of silkworm, and promoting the international trade of honey bee products. Most of these achievements mentioned above have got the national, provincial, ministerial or municipal awards on science and technology.
文摘Preproapamin genes were amplified by RT-PCR from total RNA from the venom glands of 2 honeybee species, Apis mellifera, A. cerana cerana, and 4 wasp species, Vespa magnifica, V. velutina nigrothorax and Polistes hebraeus, respectively. Their PCR products were ligated into pGEM -T easy vector and the nucleotide sequences analyzed. The six fragments were all 141?bp in length and contained a n ORF coding the precursor of apamin. The apamin precursors of V. magnifica, V. velutina nigrothorax and P. hebraeus had 95% and 93% similarity with that of A. melliera in nucleotide and amino acid sequences, respectively. That of Vespu la maculifrons was identical to that of A. mellifera in nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Apamin precursors of V. magnifica, P. hebraeus and V. velutina nigrothorax also had the same nucleotide sequences. The nucleotide sequences o f preproapamin genes from the Chinese honeybee, A. cerana cerana and 4 wasp sp ecies are described for the first time. A notable discovery was that the wasps species had exactly same apamins as the honeybees despite the fact they belong to different insect families.
基金supported by thegrants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30770668, 81070899)Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 7102019)Natural Science Foundation of Education Committee of Beijing Municipality, China (No. KM201010025005)
文摘Objective Melittin （MEL） is a major component of bee venom and can produce both persistent spontaneous nociception and pain hypersensitivity when injected subcutaneously in the periphery. The present study aimed to examine the roles of transient receptor potential canonical （TRPC） channels in mediation of MEL-indueed activation of primary nociceptive cells. Methods Whole-cell patch-clamp and laser scanning confocal calcium detection were used to evalu- ate the effects of SKF-96365, a TRPC inhibitor, applied on the acutely isolated dorsal root ganglion （DRG） cells of rat, on MEL-induced increase in intracellular calcium concentration （[Ca2＋]i） and inward current. Results Under voltage- clamp mode, 43.9% （40/91） DRG cells were evoked to give rise to the inward current by 2 pmol/L MEL, which could be significantly suppressed by 3 doses of SKF-96365 （1, 5 and 10μmol/L） in a dose-dependent manner. Of the other 210 cells, 67.6% responded to MEL with an intracellular Ca2＋ rise, as revealed by confocal calcium imaging. Of these MEL- sensitive cells, 46.5% （66/142） were suppressed by the highest dose of SKF-96365. Conclusion MEL-induced activation of small to medium-sized DRG cells can be suppressed by SKF-96365, suggesting the involvement of TRPC channels in the mediation of MEL-induced activation of primary nociceptive cells.
基金Project (No 2007AA10Z324) supported by the National High-Tech Research and Development Program (863) of China
文摘Bee venom phospholipase A2(BvPLA2) is a lipolytic enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the sn-2 acyl bond of glycerophospholipids to liberate free fatty acids and lysophospholipids.In this work,a new BvPLA2(AccPLA2) gene from the Chinese honeybee(Apis cerana cerana) venom glands was inserted into bacmid to construct a recombinant transfer vector.Tn-5B-4(Tn) cells were transfected with the recombinant bacmid DNA for expression.Sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE) analysis revealed a double band with molecular weights of 16 and 18 kDa.Products of hexahistidine AccPLA2 fusion protein accumulated up to 5.32% of the total cellular proteins.The AccPLA2 fusion protein was cross reactive with the anti-AmPLA2(BvPLA2 of the European honeybee,Apis mellifera) polyclonal serum.The reaction resulted in a double glycosylation band,which agrees with the band generated by the native AmPLA2 in Western blot analysis.The PLA2 activity of the total extracted cellular protein in the hydrolyzing egg yolk is about 3.16 μmol/(min·mg).In summary,the recombinant AccPLA2 protein,a native BvPLA2-like structure with corresponding biological activities,can be glycosylated in Tn cells.These findings provided fundamental knowledge for potential genetic engineering to produce AccPLA2 in the pharmaceutical industry.
