Cardiovascular profile after intravenous injection of Africanized bee venom in awake rats

As manifestações causadas por picadas de abelhas africanizadas dependem da sensibilidade da vítima e da toxicidade do veneno. Estudos anteriores em nosso laboratório mostraram alterações cardíacas e necrose tubular aguda (NTA) nos rins de ratos inoculados com veneno de abelhas africanizadas (VAA). O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar as alterações na pressão arterial média (PAM) e na freqüência cardíaca (FC) num período de 24 horas após a inoculação de VAA em ratos mantidos acordados. Uma redução significante na FC basal e na PAM ocorreu imediatamente após a inoculação de VAA nos animais experimentais. A FC voltou aos níveis basais 2 min após a inoculação do VAA e permaneceu nestes valores durante o restante do experimento, enquanto que a PAM voltou aos níveis basais 10 min após a inoculação e permaneceu nestes níveis pelas próximas 5 horas. Por outro lado, a PAM apresentou uma nova diminuição significante nas 7ª e 8ª horas retornando aos níveis basais na 24ª hora. A queda na PAM nos animais inoculados com VAA deve contribuir na patogênese da NTA observada nos rins destes animais. Provavelmente a queda da PAM seja multifatorial, além das alterações cardíacas já demonstradas, os próprios componentes do veneno e/ou substâncias liberadas no organismo podem atuar na resistência vascular, contribuindo para alterações na pressão arterial.

Efeito do veneno de abelha na artrite induzida por antígeno em coelhos / Effect of bee venom on antigen induced arthritis in rabbit

O efeito do veneno de abelha foi avaliado na artrite induzida por antígeno, em coelhos. O veneno de abelha foi ministrado 7 dias antes da indução da artrite, por via subcutânea, nas doses de 1,5; 3,0 e 6,0 mg/Kg/dia. O líquido sinovial foi coletado, para avaliação do número total e diferencial de células; permeabilidade vascular; determinação de prostaglandina E2 e metabólitos de óxido nítrico. A influência de glicocorticóides endógenos foi investigada com metopirona e RU 38 486, em animais que receberam veneno de abelha (1,5 mg/Kg/dia). O pré-tratamento com veneno de abelha (1,5 mg/Kg/dia) reduziu o influxo de leucócitos para a articulação inflamada, assim como os níveis de prostaglandina E2. Esse efeito não foi observado nos animais que receberam metopirona. O RU 38 486 não alterou a atividade antiinflamatória do veneno de abelha.The effect of bee venom was evaluated on antigen induced arthritis, in rabbits. Bee venom was administrated subcutaneously, 7 days before arthritis was induced, in different doses: 1,5; 3,0 and 6,0 g/Kg/day. Total and differential leucocyte migration, protein leakage, intraarticular concentration of prostaglandina E2 and nitric oxide metabolites were quantified in sinovial fluid. The influence of endogenous glucocorticoids was investigated with metyrapone and RU 38 486, in animals treated with bee venom (1,5g/Kg/day). Pre-treatment with bee venom (1,5g/Kg/day) were effective in reducing leucocyte afflux, compared with control animals. Prostaglandin E2 levels were also significantly reduced in this group. This effect was not observed in animals treated with metyrapone. The anti-inflammatory activity of bee venom was not affected by RU 38 486...

Therapeutic effect of bee venom in sows with hypogalactia syndrome postpartum

The objective of this study was to determine the clincotherapeutic effect of whole bee venom in hypogalactic sows postpartum. Sows after parturition were assigned to treated and nontreated control groups. In the treated group, 22 sows were bee acupunctured once a day for 3 consecutive days. Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) for bee acupuncture were about 15 days after metamorphosis. One live bee was used to sting the acupoints known as Yang-ming (ST-18, 1.5 cm lateral to the base of the last 2 pairs of teats) and Jiao-chao (GV-1, at the indentation between the base of tail and the anus). In the control group, 20 sows were intramuscularly injected with a standard dosage of penicillin G (400,000 IU/head) once a day for 3 consecutive days. At post-treatment, 85.0% of the drug-treated control and 90.9% of the bee venomtreated group recovered from hypogalactia syndrome. The advantages of apitherapy were that the patients did not have stress because they were not restrained for a long period. The result suggested that apitherapy using bee venom is an effective treatment for sows with hypogalactia syndrome postpartum.

Bee venom hypersensitivity and its management: patients perception of venom desensitisation.

The objectives of the study were to review bee venom immunotherapy from the patient's perspective: in particular its benefits and its problems, and to investigate any genetic tendency for bee venom hypersensitivity. A self administered, 9 item questionnaire was sent to 219 patients who had undergone either inpatient or outpatient bee venom immunotherapy at Flinders Medical Center. The clinic records of these patients were also reviewed. The controls for the genetic study were sought from patients, staff and students at Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre. One hundred and forty-six questionnaires (some incomplete and anonymous) were received. The female to male ratio was 1:2.5. The age at the time of the initial anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting ranged between 2 to 59 years, with 67% of patients being less then 20 years old. Forty percent of patients underwent venom immunotherapy for a period less than 2 years with only 11% maintaining therapy for the recommended period of 5 years or more. Thirty three percent of patients stopped their therapy on their own accord. Bee stings occurring during bee venom immunotherapy (n = 56) were generally well tolerated except in 8 subjects, 7 of whom had not reached the maintenance dose. The reduction in systemic reactions to subsequent bee stings was significantly better in the study group receiving bee venom than in an historic control group treated with whole bee extract (p = 0.03). Fear of bee stings and restricted life styles were improved during or after venom immunotherapy. The frequency of a positive family history of systemic reactions to bee stings in the patient cohort was 31%, whereas in controls it was 15% (p = 0.013). Bee venom immunotherapy has dual benefits: patients are protected from subsequent sting anaphylaxis and there is reduced psychological morbidity. However, to be effective, venom immunotherapy requires a prolonged period of carefully supervised treatment and each venom injection can cause local and systemic side effects. Genetic factors appear to be present in those patients who develop immediate hypersensitivity to be stings.