| a comparative study of the proventricular structure in corbiculate apinae (hymenoptera, apidae). | the present study compares the proventricular structure, analyzed under scanning electronic microscope (sem), among tribes of corbiculate apinae. fifty-one species of stingless bees (meliponini), one species of honeybee (apini), three species of bumblebees (bombini) and seven species of orchid bees (euglossini), were analyzed as in-group, and one species of sphecid wasp (sphecidae) and two species of halictidae bees, as out-groups. the proventricular bulb presents a basic morphology pattern simi ... | 2001 | 11070358 |
| effect of bee venom and its melittin on apical transporters of renal proximal tubule cells. | renal failure by bee venom may be related to a malfunction of renal transporters. however, the effects of bee venom on apical membrane transporters of renal proximal tubular cells are not yet known. the aim of this study was to examine the effects of dried bee venom of apis mellifera and its melittin on apical transporter activity of primary cultured rabbit kidney proximal tubule cells. bee venom (1 microg/ml) decreased the cell viability and increased lactate dehydrogenase activity over 30-min ... | 2000 | 11070419 |
| analysis of the complete genome sequence of acute bee paralysis virus shows that it belongs to the novel group of insect-infecting rna viruses. | the complete genome sequence of acute bee paralysis virus (abpv) was determined. the 9470 nucleotide, polyadenylated rna genome encoded two open reading frames (orf1 and orf2), which were separated by 184 nucleotides. the deduced amino acid sequence of the 5' orf1 (nucleotides 605 to 6325) showed significant similarity to the rna-dependent rna polymerase, helicase, and protease domains of viruses from the picornavirus, comovirus, calicivirus, and sequivirus families, as well as to a novel group ... | 2000 | 11080493 |
| crystal structure of hyaluronidase, a major allergen of bee venom. | hyaluronic acid (ha) is the most abundant glycosaminoglycan of vertebrate extracellular spaces and is specifically degraded by a beta-1,4 glycosidase. bee venom hyaluronidase (hya) shares 30% sequence identity with human hyaluronidases, which are involved in fertilization and the turnover of ha. on the basis of sequence similarity, mammalian enzymes and hya are assigned to glycosidase family 56 for which no structure has been reported yet. | 2000 | 11080624 |
| risk-indifferent foraging behaviour in honeybees. | we studied the influence of variance in reward volume on choice behaviour of honeybees, apis mellifera carnica, by training bees to collect sucrose solution from four newly developed artificial feeders. the feeders were electromechanical devices, each controlled by a microprocessor, which monitored the experiments, controlled reward delivery and stored the data. the parameters that varied between the feeders were the amount and variance of reward. the four feeders were arranged in two pairs, wit ... | 2000 | 11082236 |
| molecular phylogenetics and the classification of honey bee viruses. | we present the phylogenetic relationships of several picorna-like rna viruses found in honey bees, with respect to 13 additional plant and animal positive-strand rna viruses. most of the honey bee viruses fall into an unnamed family of insect rna viruses typified by the drosophila c virus. different bee viruses are broadly distributed within this group, suggesting either that the ability to infect honey bees has evolved multiple times, or that these viruses are generalistic in their abilities to ... | 2000 | 11087089 |
| secreted phospholipase a(2) induces vascular endothelial cell migration. | secreted phospholipase a(2) (spla(2)) regulates a variety of cellular functions. the present investigation was undertaken to elucidate the potential role of spla(2) in endothelial cell (ec) migration. bovine aortic endothelial cells (baecs) exposed to spla(2) placed in the lower compartment of a modified boyden chamber displayed increased migration compared to cells exposed to vehicle. the effect of spla(2) on ec migration was time and dose dependent. migration of baecs was observed at 30 minute ... | 2000 | 11090064 |
| expression of cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen on human cd4(+) and cd8(+) th2 cells. | the cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (cla) represents the homing receptor involved in selective migration of memory/effector t cells to the skin. numerous reports demonstrated distinct cla expression on th1 cells. however, t cells isolated from skin lesions and cla(+) t cells circulating in peripheral blood of atopic dermatitis patients expressed high il-5 and il-13. accordingly, we investigated the regulation of cla on human type 1 and type 2 t cells. cla was induced on freshly generated ... | 2000 | 11093173 |
| chemical composition and biological activity of propolis from brazilian meliponinae. | twenty-one propolis samples produced by 12 different meliponinae species were analyzed by gc-ms. several chemical types of stingless bees' propolis could be grouped, according to the prevailing type of compounds like: 'gallic acid", "diterpenic" and "triterpenic" types. the results confirm that neither the bee species nor the geographical location determine the chemical composition of meliponinae propolis and the choice of its plant source, respectively. this could be explained by the fact that ... | 2000 | 11098831 |
| preparation and evaluation of o/w type emulsions containing antitumor prostaglandin. | antitumor prostaglandins(pgs) such as delta12-pgj2 and delta7-pga1 possess a cyclopentenone or cross-conjugated dienone structures. antitumor pgs are actively incorporated through cell membrane and control gene expression. very recent studies clarified that p53 independent expression of p21 and gadd 45, activation of ppargamma are involved in antitumor mechanism of these pgs. at the low concentration, these pgs exhibit physiological or pathological activity such as osteoblast calcification, prom ... | 2000 | 11104898 |
| the tetraspanin superfamily in insects. | we describe four members of the tetraspanin/tm4sf superfamily of proteins that were identified in expressed sequence tag projects on the antennae of manduca sexta moths and apis mellifera honey bees. the three moth genes are expressed in the sensillar epithelium of male antennae, and some are expressed in female antennae, haemocytes, wing scale cell primordia and/or embryonic tissues. these proteins are probably involved in diverse cellular processes, much like their vertebrate homologues. a phy ... | 2000 | 11122467 |
| secondary heat, but not mechanical, hyperalgesia induced by subcutaneous injection of bee venom in the conscious rat: effect of systemic mk-801, a non-competitive nmda receptor antagonist. | subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of bee venom into the plantar surface of one hind paw in rats has been found to produce an immediate single phase of persistent spontaneous nociceptive responses (continuously flinching, licking or lifting the injected paw) for 1-2 h accompanied by a 72-96 hour period of primary heat and mechanical hyperalgesia in the injection site and a spread of heat, but not mechanical, hyperalgesia in the non-injected hind paw (chen et al., 1999b). to gain insight into the ... | 2000 | 11124011 |
| genetic control of size in drosophila. | during the past ten years, significant progress has been made in understanding the basic mechanisms of the development of multicellular organisms. genetic analysis of the development of caenorhabditis elegans and drosophila has unearthed a fruitful number of genes involved in establishing the basic body plan, patterning of limbs, specification of cell fate and regulation of programmed cell death. the genes involved in these developmental processes have been conserved throughout evolution and hom ... | 2000 | 11128988 |
| [ant venoms: a rare cause of allergic reactions in switzerland]. | in switzerland, unlike other countries, allergic reactions to ants are a rare phenomenon when compared to the well known allergies to bee and wasp venom. in this report we present a series of case reports and a review of the different types of allergy to ants. due to increased travel and heterogeneity of the population, we have observed several patients with sensitisation or allergy to the venom of imported fire ants (solenopsis), a species of ant found in the americas. furthermore, allergic rea ... | 2000 | 11130146 |
| sandwich-elisa detection of venom antigens in envenoming by phoneutria nigriventer spider. | enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (elisa) were developed to detect antigens from phoneutria nigriventer spider venom. horse anti-p. nigriventer immunoglobulins were prepared by immunoaffinity chromatography and used to set up a sandwich-type elisa. the specificity of the assay was demonstrated by its capacity to correctly discriminate between the circulating antigens in mice that were experimentally inoculated with p. nigriventer venom from those in mice inoculated with lycosa sp. and loxoscele ... | 2001 | 11137553 |
| live varroa jacobsoni (mesostigmata: varroidae) fallen from honey bee (hymenoptera: apidae) colonies. | the proportion of varroa jacobsoni oudemans that were alive and mobile when they fell from honey bees, apis mellifera l., in hives was measured during a 20-wk period to determine the potential use of systems that prevent these mites from returning to the bees. traps designed to discriminate between the live, fallen mites and those that are dead or immobile were used on hive bottom boards. a large fraction of the fallen mites was alive when acaricide was not in use and also when fluvalinate or co ... | 2000 | 11142286 |
| inheritance of resistance to acarapis woodi (acari: tarsonemidae) in first-generation crosses of honey bees (hymenoptera: apidae). | the tendency of honey bees, apis mellifera l, to become infested with tracheal mites, acarapis woodi (rennie), was measured in six different types of f1 colonies. the colonies were produced by mating a stock (buckfast) known to resist mite infestation to each of five commercially available stocks and to a stock known to be susceptible to mites. young uninfested bees from progeny and parent colonies were simultaneously exposed to mites in infested colonies, then retrieved and dissected to determi ... | 2000 | 11142287 |
| sperm ultrastructure of the honey bee (apis mellifera) (l) (hymenoptera, apidae) with emphasis on the nucleus-flagellum transition region. | the flagellum of apis mellifera (hymenoptera, apidae) consists of two mitochondrial derivatives, an axoneme and two accessory bodies. the mitochondrial derivatives are of unequal size and lie parallel to the axoneme. in the larger derivative four regions can be distinguished while in the smaller, only three. the region occurring only in the larger derivative consists of paracystalline material. the smaller mitochondrial derivative terminates anterior to the larger one. an extremely long centriol ... | 2000 | 11145015 |
| establishment of bee venom-induced contralateral heat hyperalgesia in the rat is dependent upon central temporal summation of afferent input from the site of injury. | the present investigation was designed to study whether central sensitization is determined by a time window of central summation of ongoing primary afferent input from a peripheral injury site. sensitization was assessed behaviorally in the rat as contralateral heat hyperalgesia induced by injection of bee venom (bv) in the hind paw. the sciatic nerve was transected at various time points following intraplantar bv injection to analyze the time window for contralateral hyperalgesia. the results ... | 2001 | 11154835 |
| thermoregulation of dancing bees: thoracic temperature of pollen and nectar foragers in relation to profitability of foraging and colony need. | the thorax surface temperature of dancing honeybees (apis mellifera carnica) recruiting nestmates to natural sources of nectar and pollen around graz (austria) was measured by real-time infrared thermography without touching them or disturbing social interactions. thorax temperature during dancing was quite variable (31.4-43 degrees c). in the course of a foraging season it varied considerably and was always lower than in bees foraging from a highly profitable food source (2 molar sucrose 120 m ... | 2001 | 11166303 |
| ligand binding and physico-chemical properties of asp2, a recombinant odorant-binding protein from honeybee (apis mellifera l.). | in insects, the transport of airborne, hydrophobic odorants and pheromones through the sensillum lymph is generally thought to be accomplished by odorant-binding proteins (obps). we report the structural and functional properties of a honeybee obp called asp2, heterologously expressed by the yeast pichia pastoris. asp2 disulfide bonds were assigned after classic trypsinolysis followed by ion-spray mass spectrometry combined with microsequencing. the pairing [cys(i)-cys(iii), cys(ii)-cys(v), cys( ... | 2001 | 11168415 |
| signal source separation in the analysis of neural activity in brain. | this research examines the spatial and temporal characteristics of the responses to stimulation of the barrel cortex in anesthetized rats using optical imaging with particular emphasis on methods of analysis which reduce the effects of low-frequency oscillations on localization of the activated cortical region. image sequences were captured using a light source with a narrow bandwidth of wavelength (590 +/- 2 nm). on each trial image data were collected at 15 hz and stored over a 12-s period sta ... | 2001 | 11170810 |
| fatal infection after a bee sting. | life-threatening or even fatal bee infections can rarely develop after bee stings. | 2001 | 11170939 |
| behavioural assessment of visual acuity in bumblebees (bombus impatiens). | the present study used previously developed techniques to measure resolution acuity in bumblebees (bombus impatiens). bees were required to discriminate between horizontal and vertical gratings in a y-maze apparatus. the gratings had a mean luminance of 9 cd m(-)(2) and a michelson contrast of 84 %. for different bees, either the horizontal or vertical grating was rewarded. rewarded gratings were associated with a sucrose and water solution (30 % sucrose by volume) and unrewarded gratings with p ... | 2001 | 11171306 |
| monophyly and extensive extinction of advanced eusocial bees: insights from an unexpected eocene diversity. | advanced eusociality sometimes is given credit for the ecological success of termites, ants, some wasps, and some bees. comprehensive study of bees fossilized in baltic amber has revealed an unsuspected middle eocene (ca. 45 million years ago) diversity of eusocial bee lineages. advanced eusociality arose once in the bees with significant post-eocene losses in diversity, leaving today only two advanced eusocial tribes comprising less than 2% of the total bee diversity, a trend analogous to that ... | 2001 | 11172007 |
| diseases of mites. | an overview is given of studies on diseases of mites. knowledge of diseases of mites is still fragmentary but in recent years more attention has been paid to acaropathogens, often because of the economic importance of many mite species. most research on mite pathogens concerns studies on fungal pathogens of eriophyoids and spider mites especially. these fungi often play an important role in the regulation of natural mite populations and are sometimes able to decimate populations of phytophagous ... | 2000 | 11201358 |
| antigen-independent suppression of the allergic immune response to bee venom phospholipase a(2) by dna vaccination in cba/j mice. | phospholipase a(2) (pla(2)) is one of the major honey bee venom allergens for humans. to assess the long-term prevention of allergic reactions by dna vaccination, a pla(2)-cba/j mouse model was employed using empty or pla(2) sequence-carrying dna plasmids. early skin application of either dna construct before (prophylactic approach) or after (therapeutic approach) sensitization with pla(2)/alum led to reduced pla(2)-specific ige and igg1 titers at 7 mo, with concomitant rise in igg2a and igg3. s ... | 2001 | 11207323 |
| bee venom injection into an acupuncture point reduces arthritis associated edema and nociceptive responses. | bee venom (bv) has traditionally been used in oriental medicine to relieve pain and to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (ra). while several investigators have evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of bv treatment, the anti-nociceptive effect of bv treatment on inflammatory pain has not been examined. previous studies in experimental animals suggest that the therapeutic effect of bv on arthritis is dependent on the site of administration. because of this potential site sp ... | 2001 | 11207399 |
| breeding system and pollination of selected plants endemic to juan fernández islands. | we conducted field studies on the juan fernández islands flora on the breeding system of 25 endemic species from 17 families. we recorded data on flower features, pollen and ovule number, pollen/ovule ratio, pollen size, self-compatibility, floral visitors, and pollination. flowers are mostly hermaphrodite, inconspicuous, small, and green. six species are dioecious. over 80% of the cosexual species are self compatible. however, many species are dichogamous (mostly protandrous); thus, even the se ... | 2001 | 11222245 |
| variations in chemical mimicry by the ectoparasitic mite varroa jacobsoni according to the developmental stage of the host honey-bee apis mellifera. | the ectoparasitic mite varroa jacobsoni poses a major threat to the survival of european honey-bee populations. development of effective control methods is therefore much needed. study of interspecific chemical communication between the parasite and host is a particularly promising avenue of research. previous study has shown that the cuticular hydrocarbons of the parasite mite varroa jacobsoni are qualitatively identical to those of its honey-bee host apis mellifera (nation j.l., sanford m.t., ... | 2001 | 11222946 |
| a new product with formic acid for varroa jacobsoni oud. control in argentina. i. efficacy. | an organic product based on formic acid in a gel matrix was evaluated for use in varroa control under autumnal climatic conditions in argentina. twenty colonies each received two gel packets with formic acid in two applications and numbers of falling mites were registered. after this treatment colonies received two other acaricides in order to compare efficacy. average final efficacy in colonies treated with the organic product was 92% with a low variability. the gel matrix kept an adequate form ... | 2001 | 11254094 |
| bee pollen-induced anaphylactic reaction in an unknowingly sensitized subject. | the food supplement bee pollen has been previously found to cause anaphylactic reactions. it has been proposed as useful for "everything from bronchitis to hemorrhoids." | 2001 | 11258697 |
| the role of pheromones and biostimulation in animal reproduction. | it is now known that pheromonal communication plays an important role in mammalian behaviour and reproductive processes. chemical communication with pheromones is one means of transmitting such information. in mammals, signalling and priming pheromones are thought to act either singly or in combination through olfaction, auditory, visual (sight) or tactile stimuli. pheromones are air-borne chemical substances ("signals") released in the urine or feces of animals or secreted from cutaneous glands ... | 2001 | 11267796 |
| modifications of the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of apis mellifera worker bees in the presence of the ectoparasitic mite varroa jacobsoni in brood cells. | varroa jacobsoni is an ectoparasite of apis mellifera which invades brood cells, on 8-day-old larvae several hours before cell capping. reproduction of the parasite takes place in the capped brood cells during the nymphose of the bee. cuticular hydrocarbons of unparasitized bees and of bees parasitized by varroa jacobsoni were extracted and analysed by gas chromatography (gc) coupled with mass spectrometry (gc-ms). three developmental stages of worker honey bees were studied: larvae, pupae and e ... | 2001 | 11272645 |
| pivotal role of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferents in development of both heat and mechanical hyperalgesia induced by intraplantar bee venom injection. | to investigate the roles of primary afferent fibers in development of the bee venom (bv)-induced persistent spontaneous nociception (psn) and hyperalgesia (ha), the sciatic nerve or both the sciatic and saphenous nerves of rats were topically treated with capsaicin respectively under pentobarbital anesthesia to destroy the capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent (cspa) fibers. effect of the sciatic nerve capsaicin on the formalin-induced psn was also evaluated. destruction of the cspa fibers of the ... | 2001 | 11275395 |
| a high affinity acceptor for phospholipase a2 with neurotoxic activity is a calmodulin. | one of the high affinity binding proteins for ammodytoxin c, a snake venom presynaptically neurotoxic phospholipase a(2), has been purified from porcine cerebral cortex and characterized. after extraction from the membranes, the toxin-binding protein was isolated in a homogenous form using wheat germ lectin-sepharose, q-sepharose, and ammodytoxin-ch-sepharose chromatography. the specific binding of (125)i-ammodytoxin c to the isolated acceptor was inhibited to different extents by some neurotoxi ... | 2001 | 11278260 |
| solution structure of bsti: a new trypsin inhibitor from skin secretions of bombina bombina. | the three-dimensional solution structure of bsti, a trypsin inhibitor from the european frog bombina bombina, has been solved using (1)h nmr spectroscopy. the 60 amino acid protein contains five disulfide bonds, which were unambiguously determined to be cys (4--38), cys (13--34), cys (17--30), cys (21--60), and cys (40--54) by experimental restraints and subsequent structure calculations. the main elements of secondary structure are four beta-strands, arranged as two small antiparallel beta-shee ... | 2001 | 11294627 |
| bee venom pretreatment has both an antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effect on carrageenan-induced inflammation. | although the injection of bee venom (bv) has been reported to evoke tonic pain and hyperalgesia, there is conflicting evidence in the literature indicating that bv can also exert an anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects on inflammation. in this regard, bv has been traditionally used in oriental medicine to relieve pain and to treat chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. the present study was designed to test the hypothesis that bv induces acute nociception under norm ... | 2001 | 11307924 |
| detection of acute bee paralysis virus and black queen cell virus from honeybees by reverse transcriptase pcr. | a reverse transcriptase pcr (rt-pcr) assay was developed for the detection of acute bee paralysis virus (abpv) and black queen cell virus (bqcv), two honeybee viruses. complete genome sequences were used to design unique pcr primers within a 1-kb region from the 3' end of both genomes to amplify a fragment of 900 bp from abpv and 700 bp from bqcv. the combined guanidinium thiocyanate and silica membrane method was used to extract total rna from samples of healthy and laboratory-infected bee pupa ... | 2001 | 11319129 |
| are queen bombus terrestris giant workers or are workers dwarf queens? solving the 'chicken and egg' problem in a bumblebee species. | in the social bee, bombus terrestris, the two castes differ in size and physiology, but not in any other morphological and anatomical aspects. the size differences between the castes are the result of longer instar duration in prospective queen larvae. it appears that queen larvae are programmed to have a higher molting weight at the end of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th instars. calculation of the growth ratio, the ratio between the logarithm of molting weight at two successive instars, revealed that que ... | 2001 | 11320894 |
| resistance to acarapis woodi by honey bees (hymenoptera: apidae): divergent selection and evaluation of selection progress. | two generations of honey bees, apis mellifera l., selected for resistance to tracheal mites, acarapis woodi (rennie), were produced from a foundation stock. the mite resistant lines had significantly low mite abundances and prevalences in each selected generation. the high mite-resistant lines of the first selected generation showed resistance equal to that of bees that had undergone natural selection from tracheal mite infestations for 3 yr in new york. additionally, the high mite-resistant lin ... | 2001 | 11332822 |
| bumble bee (hymenoptera: apidae) activity and pollination levels in commercial tomato greenhouses. | commercial greenhouse studies were conducted to assess levels of pollination of tomato (lycopersicon esculentum mill.) flowers in relation to bumble bee (bombus impatiens cresson) colony activity and colony densities. for the assessment of pollination levels of tomato flowers, five categories were defined based on bruising levels caused by bumble bee pollination. colony activity was measured as bee trips per ha/d using electric powered photodiode monitors inserted into the hive entrance. levels ... | 2001 | 11332840 |
| pollen spectrum of honey of "uruçu" bee (melipona scutellaris latreille, 1811). | in spite of the importance of the "uruçu" bee as honey producer of excellent quality, as well, potential pollinator both in agricultural and natural ecosystems, mainly in north-eastern brazil, just some information is found in literature about sources that such bees utilize to collect nectar and pollen. the identification of the plants visited by melipona scutellaris was accomplished with base on the analysis of pollen types found in the honey samples collected every two months, from march 1997 ... | 2001 | 11340463 |
| the application of molecular markers in the study of diversity in acarology: a review. | the application of molecular markers to the study of ticks and mites has recently yielded new insights into their population structures and taxonomic relationships. ticks have been studied at individual, population and species level. mites are a more diverse group and those that have been studied to the same degree as the ticks include the tetranychidae (spider mites), phytoseiidae (predatory mites) and the eriophyidae. population variation has also been studied in the important bee parasitic mi ... | 2000 | 11345314 |
| differential roles of spinal neurokinin 1/2 receptors in development of persistent spontaneous nociception and hyperalgesia induced by subcutaneous bee venom injection in the conscious rat. | to evaluate the roles of spinal neurokinin receptors in the development of persistent nociception and hyperalgesia to thermal and mechanical stimuli induced by subcutaneous (s.c.) bee venom injection, effects of intrathecal (i.t.) pre- or post-treatment with a non-selective antagonist of (nk1/2) receptors, [d-arg1,d-trp7,9,leu11] substance p (spantide), and a selective nk3 receptor antagonist, (s)-(n)-(1-(3-(1-benzoyl-3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl) piperidin-3-yl)propyl)-4-phenylpiperidin-4-yl)-n-methyl ... | 2001 | 11346308 |
| biomechanics of the movable pretarsal adhesive organ in ants and bees. | hymenoptera attach to smooth surfaces with a flexible pad, the arolium, between the claws. here we investigate its movement in asian weaver ants (oecophylla smaragdina) and honeybees (apis mellifera). when ants run upside down on a smooth surface, the arolium is unfolded and folded back with each step. its extension is strictly coupled with the retraction of the claws. experimental pull on the claw-flexor tendon revealed that the claw-flexor muscle not only retracts the claws, but also moves the ... | 2001 | 11353847 |
| honeybee dances communicate distances measured by optic flow. | in honeybees, employed foragers recruit unemployed hive mates to food sources by dances from which a human observer can read the distance and direction of the food source. when foragers collect food in a short, narrow tunnel, they dance as if the food source were much farther away. dancers gauge distance by retinal image flow on the way to their destination. their visually driven odometer misreads distance because the close tunnel walls increase optic flow. we examined how hive mates interpret t ... | 2001 | 11385571 |
| [evaluation of gene protective effects of some natural anti-mutation substance]. | antimutation activity of some bee products was evaluated with a battery of test-systems. tablets of apilac prepared out of queen bee milk did not demonstrate gene-protective effects in ames' test. other bee products, i.e. propolis, beebread, honey preparations 1 and 2 and queen bee milk were able to mitigate to a degree ill effects of some chemical and physical mutagenes. propolis was found to be toxic to the yeast cell. antimutation properties of natural queen bee milk revealed in the experimen ... | 2001 | 11385991 |
| antinociceptive effects of bee venom acupuncture (apipuncture) in rodent animal models: a comparative study of acupoint versus non-acupoint stimulation. | from a clinical perspective, the alternative forms of acupoint stimulation including electroacupuncture, moxibustion and acupressure appear to have more potent analgesic effects than manual needle acupuncture. bee venom (bv) injection has also been reported to produce persistent nociceptive stimulation and to cause neuronal activation in the spinal cord. in previous study, we observed that bv stimulation into acupoint, namely bv acupuncture or apipuncture, produced more potent anti-inflammatory ... | 2001 | 11394494 |
| lipolysis of ldl by human secretory phospholipase a(2) induces particle fusion and enhances the retention of ldl to human aortic proteoglycans. | the first morphological sign of atherogenesis is the accumulation of extracellular lipid droplets in the proteoglycan-rich subendothelial layer of the arterial intima. secretory nonpancreatic phospholipase a(2) (snppla(2)), an enzyme capable of lipolyzing ldl particles, is found in the arterial extracellular matrix and in contact with the extracellular lipid droplets. we have recently shown that in the presence of heparin, lipolysis of ldl with bee venom pla(2) induces aggregation and fusion of ... | 2001 | 11397719 |
| anaphylaxis caused by the new ant, pachycondyla chinensis: demonstration of specific ige and ige-binding components. | there have been no reports dealing with the pathogenic mechanism and ige-binding components in patients with anaphylaxis caused by a sting from pachycondyla chinensis. | 2001 | 11398091 |
| arthroscopic autologous osteochondral mosaicplasty for the treatment of subchondral cystic lesion in the medial femoral condyle in a horse. | an 11-year-old, hungarian half-bred stallion was presented with a history of mixed left hindlimb lameness of 6 months duration. subchondral bone cyst of the medial femoral condyle and injury of the medial meniscus were diagnosed. osteochondral autograft transplantation (mosaic arthroplasty) was performed, taking grafts from the less weight-bearing medial border of the medial femoral trochlea of the affected limb, and transplanting them into the cyst during arthroscopy. the lameness was evaluated ... | 2000 | 11402718 |
| differentially expressed regulatory genes in honey bee caste development. | in the honey bee, an eminently fertile queen with up to 200 ovarioles per ovary monopolizes colony level reproduction. in contrast, worker bees have only few ovarioles and are essentially sterile. this phenotype divergence is a result of caste-specifically modulated juvenile hormone and ecdysteroid titers in larval development. in this study we employed a differential-display reverse transcription (ddrt)-pcr protocol to detect ecdysteroid-regulated gene expression during a critical phase of cast ... | 2001 | 11402838 |
| one-year dog toxicity study of d-002, a mixture of aliphatic alcohols. | d-002 is a mixture of high-molecular-weight aliphatic alcohols, obtained from bees wax (apis mellifera), with mild anti-inflammatory properties and effective anti-ulcer activities demonstrated in experimental models. this study investigated the oral toxicity of d-002 administered for 1 year to beagle dogs. twenty-four beagle dogs (12 males and 12 females) were distributed randomly in three experimental groups (four animals per group): a control and two treated groups received d-002 at 50 and 250 ... | 2001 | 11404829 |
| free fatty acids digested from pollen and triolein in the honeybee (apis mellifera carnica pollmann) midgut. | honey bees satisfy their lipid requirement by consuming pollen. the free fatty acid content of the midgut was used to quantify fat digestion. midguts extracted from younger workers of known ages and from foragers were divided into three components: endoperitrophic region (peritrophic membrane with gut contents), extraperitrophic region and intestinal wall. both the total amount of pollen and the amount of free fatty acids in the endoperitrophic region and in the intestinal wall depend on the bee ... | 2001 | 11409628 |
| origin of honeybees (apis mellifera l.) from the yucatan peninsula inferred from mitochondrial dna analysis. | honeybees (apis mellifera l.) sampled at sites in europe, africa and south america were analysed using a mitochondrial dna restriction fragment length polymorphism (rflp) marker. these samples were used to provide baseline information for a detailed analysis of the process of africanization of bees from the neotropical yucatan peninsula of mexico. radical changes in mitochondrial haplotype (mitotype) frequencies were found to have occurred in the 13-year period studied. prior to the arrival of a ... | 2001 | 11412359 |
| [lycanthropy-zooanthropism--discussion of a psychopathological phenomenon]. | the belief to be transformed into an animal is named lycanthropy. "zooanthropismus" is the german equivalent. three case reports raised the question how this phenomenon, in our cases to be transformed into a frog, a bee or a wolf/dog, can be interpreted in a psychopathological and diagnostic regard. is it pathognomonic for a special disease? with the three case reports and a survey of the literature this paper deals with lycanthropy trying to put this perhaps neglected topic back into the focus ... | 2001 | 11417261 |
| bombus impatiens (hymenoptera: apidae): an alternative to apis mellifera (hymenoptera: apidae) for lowbush blueberry pollination. | the pollination effectiveness of the commercially reared bumble bee bombus impatiens cresson, was compared in field studies to the honey bee, apis mellifera l., for lowbush blueberry, vaccinium angustifolium ait. a preliminary study indicated that b. impatiens had potential as an alternative pollinator. in a 3-yr study, percentage fruit set, percentage harvested berries, berry weight, and seeds per berry were compared in blueberry fields stocked at 7.5 a. mellifera hives per hectare to 5, 7.5, o ... | 2001 | 11425013 |
| suppression of cell transformation and induction of apoptosis by caffeic acid phenethyl ester. | caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape), which is derived from the propolis of honeybee hives, has been shown to block tumor promotion and to have toxic effects on several cancer cells. the mechanism of the anti-tumor promotion activity of cape is unclear, however. in this study, we found that cape suppressed 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced cell transformation and induced apoptosis in mouse epidermal jb6 cl 41 cells. no difference in induction of apoptosis was observed between normal ly ... | 2001 | 11429785 |
| adult honeybee's resistance against paenibacillus larvae larvae, the causative agent of the american foulbrood. | american foulbrood is a widespread disease of honeybee larvae caused by the spore-forming bacterium paenibacillus larvae subsp. larvae. spores represent the infectious stage; when ingested by a larva they germinate in the midgut. the rod-shaped vegetative forms penetrate the larva's intestinal tissue and start multiplying rapidly, which finally kills the larva. spores fed to adult honeybees, however, do not harm the bees. we investigated this phenomenon. specifically, we studied the influence of ... | 2001 | 11437525 |
| effects of time, temperature, and honey on nosema apis (microsporidia: nosematidae), a parasite of the honeybee, apis mellifera (hymenoptera: apidae). | newly emerged adult bees were fed with nosema apis spores subjected to various treatments, and their longevity, proportions of bees infected, and spores per bee recorded. spores lost viability after 1, 3, or 6 months in active manuka or multifloral honey, after 3 days in multifloral honey, and after 21 days in water or sugar syrup at 33 degrees c. air-dried spores lost viability after 3 or 5 days at 40 degrees, 45 degrees, or 49 degrees c. increasing numbers of bees became infected with increasi ... | 2001 | 11437529 |
| enantioselectivity of odor perception in honeybees (apis mellifera carnica). | the authors tested the ability of 60 free-flying honeybees (apis mellifera carnica) to discriminate a conditioning odor from an array of 26 simultaneously presented substances. the stimuli included 10 pairs of enantiomers and 6 essential oils. the bees (a) significantly distinguished between 98% of the 540 odor pairs tested, thus showing an excellent overall discrimination performance, and (b) were able to discriminate between the optical isomers of limonene, alpha-pinene, beta-citronellol, ment ... | 2001 | 11439452 |
| cannabinoid receptors are absent in insects. | the endocannabinoid system exerts an important neuromodulatory role in mammals. knockout mice lacking cannabinoid (cb) receptors exhibit significant morbidity. the endocannabinoid system also appears to be phylogenetically ancient--it occurs in mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, sea urchins, leeches, mussels, and even the most primitive animal with a nerve network, the hydra. the presence of cb receptors, however, has not been examined in terrestrial invertebrates (or any member of the ecdysozoa) ... | 2001 | 11447587 |
| a peptide derived from bee venom-secreted phospholipase a2 inhibits replication of t-cell tropic hiv-1 strains via interaction with the cxcr4 chemokine receptor. | we have previously shown that secreted phospholipases a2 (spla2) from bee and snake venoms have potent anti-human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) activity. these spla2s block hiv-1 entry into host cells through a mechanism linked to spla2 binding to cells. in this study, 12 synthetic peptides derived from bee venom spla2 (bvpla2) have been tested for inhibition of hiv-1 infection. the p3bv peptide (amino acids 21 to 35 of bvpla2) was found to inhibit the replication of t-lymphotropic (t-tropic) hiv ... | 2001 | 11455021 |
| utilization of bee (apis mellifera) honey for vinegar production at laboratory scale. | vinegar was obtained from bee (apis mellifera) honey. the wort was prepared by diluting honey in distilled water to 21% total solids and by adding ammonium sulfate and ammonium phosphate. saccharomyces cerevisiae was inoculated to the wort (4 g/l). ethanol production was carried out at room temperature during 84 hours. in this study, 1 kg of honey yielded about 5 l of wine, containing 8% alcohol (v/v), from a wort with 17.11% total sugars (w/v). the efficiency of the alcoholic fermentation was 8 ... | 2000 | 11460793 |
| task-related chemical analysis of labial gland volatile secretion in worker honeybees (apis mellifera ligustica). | chemical analyses revealed that the labial gland complex of worker honeybees possesses a series of hydrocarbons dominated by odd-numbered carbon chain alkanes along with minor amounts of alkenes and branched alkanes. foragers contained significantly more secretion than nurse bees. experiments with bees from colonies induced to have a division of labor independent of age revealed that the differences in the amount of secretion were task, but not age dependent. | 2001 | 11471944 |
| genetic structure and distinctness of apis mellifera l. populations from the canary islands. | the genetic structure of apis mellifera populations from the canary islands has been assessed by mitochondrial (restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the intergenic transfer rnaleu-coii region) and nuclear (microsatellites) studies. these populations show a low level of genetic variation in terms of average number of alleles and degree of heterozygosity. significant differences in the distribution of alleles were found in both data sets, confirming the genetic differentiation among some o ... | 2001 | 11472540 |
| determination of 2-butoxyethanol emissions from selected consumer products and its application in assessment of inhalation exposure associated with cleaning tasks. | consumer products are important sources of human exposure to certain chemicals. recent regulatory requirements for assessing human exposure to three glycol ethers, namely 2-methoxyethanol (me), 2-ethoxyethanol (ee) and 2-butoxyethanol (be), have prompted the investigation of these chemicals in consumer products and their emission characteristics. thirteen products were selected for investigation based on their potential of containing the chemicals. headspace results indicated that me and ee were ... | 2001 | 11485228 |
| differential regulation of allergen-specific antibodies in allergy and specific immunotherapy. | allergen-specific immunotherapy (sit) aims to specifically skew an allergic response into a normal immune reaction against an allergen. the response to bee venom (bv) provides an especially suited model to study the immunological mechanisms of sit in human. the bv-phospholipase a2 (pla) represents the major antigen/allergen of bv. in sit of bv allergy both whole bv and t cell epitope peptides of pla were successfully applied. it appeared that the induction of specific anergy in peripheral t cell ... | 1999 | 11487881 |
| structure and response patterns of olfactory interneurons in the honeybee, apis mellifera. | to analyze morphologic and physiological properties of olfactory interneurons in the honeybee, apis mellifera, antennal lobe (al) neurons were intracellularly recorded and subsequently labeled with neurobiotin. additional focal injections were carried out with cobalt hexamine chloride and dextran fluorescent markers. olfactory interneurons (projection neurons, pns) project by means of five tracts, the lateral, the median, and three mediolateral antennocerebral tracts (l-, m-, and ml-act, respect ... | 2001 | 11494262 |
| effect of melittin on potassium currents and action potential in ventricular myocytes of guinea pig. | to examine the effects of melittin (mel), the major component of bee venom, on delayed rectifier k+ current (ik), inward rectifier k+ current (ikl) and action potential (ap) in guinea pig ventricular myocytes. | 2000 | 11501168 |
| development of highly nutritive culture media. | a highly nutritive culture medium (mgm-464) was developed for insect cell primary culture. the new medium consists of 6 inorganic salts, 4 organic acids, 21 amino acids, 3 sugars, 10 vitamins, and 8 other chemicals, including natural substances. the complete medium was generated by adding 20 ml fetal bovine serum to 100 ml mgm-464. the detail of the composition of the medium is given in a table, and the protocol to prepare the medium is described in the text. among the 15 kinds of cultures made ... | 2001 | 11515963 |
| case report of venom immunotherapy for a patient with large local reactions. | inadvertent hymenoptera stings reportedly elicit large local reactions in up to 17% of the general population. current practice parameters do not recommend venom immunotherapy (it) for these cases. | 2001 | 11527245 |
| haemolymph sugar levels in foraging honeybees (apis mellifera carnica): dependence on metabolic rate and in vivo measurement of maximal rates of trehalose synthesis. | previous investigations of haemolymph sugar levels in honeybees have reported very different results, probably because different experimental conditions affected the activity levels of the animals. the present study investigated the dependence of haemolymph sugar levels in foraging honeybees on metabolic rate and whether the haemolymph sugar level is regulated. free-flying foraging bees were trained to collect controlled amounts of sucrose solution of different concentrations (15%, 30% or 50% su ... | 2001 | 11533121 |
| acute sarcocystis falcatula-like infection in a carmine bee-eater (merops nubicus) and immunohistochemical cross reactivity between sarcocystis falcatula and sarcocystis neurona. | an unidentified sarcocystis falcatula-like infection was diagnosed in a captive bee-eater (merops nubicus) in a zoo in florida. the bird died suddenly, probably due to protozoa-associated pneumonia. protozoal schizonts were found in lungs and heart, and immature sarcocysts were seen in skeletal muscles. ultrastructurally, schizonts were located in capillary endothelium and merozoites lacked rhoptries, consistent with the structure of sarcocystis species. sarcocysts were immature, microscopic, an ... | 2001 | 11534648 |
| [allergen immunotherapy - a position paper of the german society for allergology and clinical immunology]. | mechanisms of allergen immunotherapy (ait) are complex inducing numerous immunological effects. successful ait is most likely based on a functional switch of and tolerance induction in specific t cells downregulating allergic hypersensitivity and inflammation. subcutaneous ait for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic asthma has been successfully assessed in controlled studies with several clinically important allergens (i. e. birch-, grass- and mugwortpollen, dust mites, animal dander) and ... | 2001 | 11536068 |
| degraded diet induced thermogenesis induced by 20 days of 6 degrees head down bed rest and effect of resistance training. | in the 21st century, our dream of living in a space will finally become reality. to understand the effects of microgravity on energy expenditure and possible countermeasure against them is important to maintain human health in space. diet induced thermogenesis (dit) is an increase in energy expenditure after ingestion of a meal, and accounts for 10% of total daily energy expenditure. recently, the important role of dit in regulating obesity is suggested. basal energy expenditure (bee), on the ot ... | 1999 | 11542998 |
| expression and characterization of soluble human parainfluenza virus type 1 hemagglutinin-neuraminidase glycoprotein. | human parainfluenza virus types 1 (hpiv-1), 2, and 3 represent significant respiratory pathogens for which no antiviral treatment is currently available. to characterize the biochemical functions of the hpiv-1 hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (hn) glycoprotein, a potential target for antiviral therapy, we cloned and expressed a soluble portion of hpiv-1 hn (amino acid residues 137-575), lacking the n-terminal hydrophobic membrane anchorage region, in insect cells using the baculovirus secretion expre ... | 2001 | 11543884 |
| eicosanoids act in nodulation reactions to bacterial infections in newly emerged adult honey bees, apis mellifera, but not in older foragers. | nodulation is the first, and qualitatively predominant, cellular defense reaction to bacterial infections in insects. we tested the hypothesis that eicosanoids also mediate nodulation reactions to bacterial challenge in adults of a social insect, the honey bee, apis mellifera. treating newly-emerged experimental bees with the eicosanoid biosynthesis inhibitor, dexamethasone, impaired nodulation reactions to bacterial infections, and the influence of dexamethasone was reversed by treating infecte ... | 2001 | 11544147 |
| isotopic double-labeling of two honeybee odorant-binding proteins secreted by the methylotrophic yeast pichia pastoris. | odorant-binding proteins (obps) are soluble, low-molecular-weight proteins secreted in the sensillum lymph surrounding the dendrites of olfactory sensilla from a wide range of insect species. these proteins play a role in the solubilization, transport and/or deactivation of pheromones and odorants. in order to study the relationships between the molecular structure in solution and their ligand-binding properties, we have (13)c/(15)n-double-labeled two divergent honeybee obps, called asp1 and asp ... | 2001 | 11570859 |
| regulation of circadian methyl benzoate emission in diurnally and nocturnally emitting plants. | emission of methyl benzoate, one of the most abundant scent compounds of bee-pollinated snapdragon flowers, occurs in a rhythmic manner, with maximum emission during the day, and coincides with the foraging activity of bumblebees. rhythmic emission of methyl benzoate displays a "free-running" cycle in the absence of environmental cues (in continuous dark or continuous light), indicating the circadian nature of diurnal rhythmicity. methyl benzoate is produced in upper and lower snapdragon petal l ... | 2001 | 11595805 |
| genome organization of the densovirus from bombyx mori (bmdnv-1) and enzyme activity of its capsid. | bombyx mori densovirus (bmdnv-1), on the basis of the previously reported genome sequence, constitutes by itself a separate genus (iteravirus) within the densovirinae subfamily of parvoviruses. inconsistencies in the genome organization, however, necessitated its reassessment. the genome sequence of new clones was determined and resulted in a completely different genome organization. the corrected sequence also contained conserved sequence motifs found in other parvoviruses. some amino acids in ... | 2001 | 11602795 |
| varroa destructor reproduction during the winter in apis mellifera colonies in uk. | the reproductive behaviour of female varroa destructor mites invading worker brood cells during the winter months (january to mid-march) was investigated in four apis mellifera colonies in uk. the number of viable offspring produced during a reproductive cycle, per mite, was only 0.5 during winter compared with 1.0 during the summer. this was mainly due to a large increase in the population of non-reproductive mites (winter 20%, summer 8%). this increase can be explained by the high level of mal ... | 2001 | 11603739 |
| the architect and the bee: some reflections on postmortem pregnancy. | do physicians have a duty to sustain the pregnancies of women who die during the first or second trimester? physicians cannot simply assume that the woman would have wished the pregnancy to continue, nor (in the u.s., at any rate) is it clear that the state has any interest in fetal life before viability. the conditions for beneficence-based duties of fetal rescue will often be unmet, both because sustaining the pregnancy is not always a clear gain to the born child and because it may impose a s ... | 1994 | 11652348 |
| comparative study of the venoms from three species of bees: effects on heart activity and blood. | crude venoms from three highly evolved aculeate species: apis mellifera (highly social bees), bombus morrisoni (eusocial bees), and anthophora pauperata (solitary bees), were used for conducting this study to compare the effects of honey bee, bumble bee, and solitary bee venom on toad cardiac muscle activity. in addition, these venoms were tested on rat whole blood in order to determine their ability to induce red blood cell haemolysis. the main toxic effects on isolated toad heart were monitore ... | 2001 | 11695823 |
| investigation of in vitro antimicrobial activity of honey. | apitherapy or therapy with bee products as honey is an old tradition. in this study, the antimicrobial activity of 84 honey samples were investigated against 8 bacteria potential pathogens and 2 fungi. honey samples were obtained from 10 different floral sources. the findings indicate that honey samples with thyme, thyme + acorn, pine + carob, pine + carob + anis and pine + chestnut are more effective than the other honey of floral sources. the results of the survey show that most of honey sampl ... | 2001 | 11702659 |
| caffeic acid phenethyl ester, an inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappab, attenuates bacterial peptidoglycan polysaccharide-induced colitis in rats. | caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape) is an anti-inflammatory component of propolis (honeybee resin). cape is reportedly a specific inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappab (nf-kappab). the aims of our study were 1) to evaluate the effect of cape on cytokine production, nf-kappab, and apoptosis in two cell lines; 2) to assess the effect of cape on nf-kappab in rats with peptidoglycan-polysaccharide (pg-ps)-induced colitis; and 3) to evaluate the efficacy of cape against this colitis. in vitro experiment ... | 2001 | 11714876 |
| bovine ephemeral fever in taiwan. | bovine ephemeral fever (bef) is a vector-borne disease of cattle, spanning tropical and subtropical zones of asia, australia, and africa, caused by ephemerovirus of the rhabdoviridae. taiwan has had 3 bef epizootics, occurring in 1989, 1996, and 1999, since the vaccination regimen was initiated in 1984, given once a year in the spring with a single-dose formaldehyde-inactivated vaccine using the 1983 isolate as the seed virus. this study evaluated the 1999 population immunity against bef virus i ... | 2001 | 11724135 |
| a survey of nosema apis of honey bees (apis mellifera l.) producing the famous anzer honey in turkey. | the aim of this study is to find out the ratio of nosema infected honey bees which are producing the famous anzer honey that is used for the cure of the illnesses such as farangitis, tonsilitis, ulceration, and scratchs due to the experiences of the people living in turkey. honey bee samples were collected from two different regions of anzer plain in july. honey bee abdomens were homogenized and 1 ml distilled water was added for each honey bee. later, 0.1 ml out of this solution was examined by ... | 2001 | 11724408 |
| acute tubulointerstitial nephritis after wasp stings. | a 61-year-old caucasian man presented with acute renal failure after multiple wasp stings. the patient required dialysis support temporarily. work-up failed to show rhabdomyolysis or hemolysis and a kidney biopsy revealed acute allergic interstitial nephritis. the patient's renal function recovered completely after a short course of steroid therapy. acute renal failure after wasp stings is typically caused by acute tubular necrosis in the setting of hemolysis or rhabdomyolysis. compared with pre ... | 2001 | 11728993 |
| worker genetic diversity and infection by nosema apis in honey bee colonies. | the hypothesis that parasites and pathogens select for polyandry in eusocial hymenoptera was tested, using the honey bee apis mellifera and its microsporidian parasite nosema apis. five honey bee colonies with low and five with high worker genetic diversity were infected with n. apis spores. at 54-56 days after inoculation, parasite spores in the workers' midguts were counted to determine whether there was a greater variation of infection intensity (spore counts per worker) in high-diversity col ... | 2001 | 11732162 |
| structure-function relationship of serine protease-protein inhibitor interaction. | we report our progress in understanding the structure-function relationship of the interaction between protein inhibitors and several serine proteases. recently, we have determined high resolution solution structures of two inhibitors apis mellifera chymotrypsin inhibitor-1 (amci-i) and linum usitatissimum trypsin inhibitor (luti) in the free state and an ultra high resolution x-ray structure of bpti. all three inhibitors, despite totally different scaffolds, contain a solvent exposed loop of si ... | 2001 | 11732612 |
| caffeic acid phenethyl ester inhibits nitric oxide synthase gene expression and enzyme activity. | since nitric oxide (no) synthesized by inducible nitric oxide synthase (inos) has been known to be involved in inflammatory and autoimmune-mediated tissue destruction, modulation of no synthesis or action represents a new approach to the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape), an active component of honeybee propolis, has been identified to show anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-cancer activities. the present study, therefore, examined effects ... | 2002 | 11734336 |
| antibody binding to venom carbohydrates is a frequent cause for double positivity to honeybee and yellow jacket venom in patients with stinging-insect allergy. | up to 50% of patients with stinging-insect allergy have double-positive rast results to honeybee and yellow jacket (yj) venom. true double sensitization and crossreactivity through venom hyaluronidases are considered main reasons for this multiple reactivity. | 2001 | 11742287 |
| molecular characterization of volume-sensitive sk(ca) channels in human liver cell lines. | in human liver, ca(2+)-dependent changes in membrane k(+) permeability play a central role in coordinating functional interactions between membrane transport, metabolism, and cell volume. on the basis of the observation that k(+) conductance is partially sensitive to the bee venom toxin apamin, we aimed to assess whether small-conductance ca(2+)-sensitive k(+) (sk(ca)) channels are expressed endogenously and contribute to volume-sensitive k(+) efflux and cell volume regulation. we isolated a ful ... | 2002 | 11751164 |
| human neutrophil migration in vitro induced by secretory phospholipases a2: a role for cell surface glycosaminoglycans. | the purpose of this study was to examine the ability of type i- (porcine pancreas and naja mocambique mocambique venom), type ii- (bothropstoxin-i, bothropstoxin-ii, and piratoxin-i), and type iii- (apis mellifera venom) secretory phospholipases a2 (spla2s) to induce human neutrophil chemotaxis, and the role of the cell surface proteoglycans, leukotriene b4 (ltb4), and platelet-activating factor (paf), in mediating this migration. the neutrophil chemotaxis assays were performed by using a 48-wel ... | 2002 | 11754875 |
| parasitic cape honeybee workers, apis mellifera capensis, evade policing. | relocation of the cape honeybee, apis mellifera capensis, by bee-keepers from southern to northern south africa in 1990 has caused widespread death of managed african honeybee, a. m. scutellata, colonies. apis mellifera capensis worker bees are able to lay diploid, female eggs without mating by means of automictic thelytoky (meiosis followed by fusion of two meiotic products to restore egg diploidy), whereas workers of other honeybee subspecies are able to lay only haploid, male eggs. the a. m. ... | 2002 | 11805832 |
| a snake venom phospholipase a(2) blocks malaria parasite development in the mosquito midgut by inhibiting ookinete association with the midgut surface. | oocyst formation is a critical stage in the development of the malaria parasite in the mosquito. we have discovered that the phospholipase a(2) (pla2) from the venom of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (crotalus adamanteus) inhibits oocyst formation when added to infected chicken blood and fed to mosquitoes. a similar transmission-blocking activity was demonstrated for pla2s from the venom of other snakes and from the honeybee. this effect is seen both with the avian malaria parasite plasmodi ... | 2001 | 11809789 |
| hymenoptera-venom-induced upregulation of the basophil activation marker ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 3 in sensitized individuals. | bee and wasp venoms are potent allergens capable of inducing severe clinical reactions. to detect immediate-type hypersensitivity to these allergens, a rapid in vitro test was developed that relies on the upregulation of ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 3 (e-npp3) on activated basophils. | 2001 | 11815741 |
| role of melittin-like region within phospholipase a(2)-activating protein in biological function. | phospholipase a(2)-activating protein (plaa) has been implicated in the production of prostaglandins (e.g. pge(2)) via activation of phospholipases in various stimulated cell types. human plaa, with 738 amino acid (aa) residues, contains a region of 38% homology (aa 503-538) with the 26-aa long melittin peptide, a major component of bee venom and a reported regulator of phospholipase a(2) and phospholipase d activity. to learn more about the role of plaa in the production of eicosanoids and othe ... | 2002 | 11821123 |