| [evolutionistic significance of biological form-function relationship based on the example of the shoulder-blade in higher primates. ii. form and function, goal and random factor: literature]. | the shoulder-blades of the monkeys are mainly constructed as a shock-absorbing platform, supporting the weight of the torso, which is hung up between the 2 forelegs in a muscle sling, composed by the m. serratus ventralis. the mobility of the arms are of less importance, although this mobility is more developed in monkeys than in other quadrupedal mammals. the shoulder-blades of the hominoids are freed from the supporting function and are mainly constructed for the mobility of the arms. therefor ... | 1982 | 6818094 |
| a comparison of nerve transection and chronic application of beta-bungarotoxin on acetylcholine receptor distribution and other nerve-muscle properties. | beta-bungarotoxin (beta-butx), a snake venom neurotoxin which acts presynaptically to inhibit acetylcholine (ach) release at the neuromuscular junction, was applied to the rat phrenic nerve-diaphragm muscle preparation to determine its effectiveness to mimic denervation. the distribution of junctional and extrajunctional ach receptors on the muscle were assayed biochemically by [125i]alpha-bungarotoxin ( [125i]alpha-butx) binding and electrophysiologically by iontophoretic application of ach. sp ... | 1983 | 6825753 |
| in vitro susceptibility of spiroplasmas to heavy-metal salts. | the susceptibility of six spiroplasma strains to heavy-metal salt was characterized in terms of minimal inhibitory concentrations and minimal biocidal concentrations in broth tube dilution tests. the strains were most susceptible to mercuric chloride and silver nitrate; less susceptible to copper sulfate, cobalt chloride, lead nitrate, and cadmium sulfate; and least susceptible to nickel chloride and zinc sulfate. spiroplasma citri strains maroc r8a2 and c189 were the most susceptible to five of ... | 1983 | 6830208 |
| an automated particle counting immunoassay (pacia) for determination of blocking antibodies against timothy grass pollen in sera from desensitized allergics. | an automated particle counting immunoassay (pacia) for measurement of blocking antibodies (antigen neutralizing capacity) against timothy grass pollen extract in sera from desensitized allergics is described. latex particles coated with f(ab')2-anti-timothy are agglutinated by timothy. serum containing anti-timothy antibodies inhibits the agglutination. non-agglutinated particles are counted in a modified autocounter. nineteen of 20 sera from timothy allergics who had undergone immunotherapy wit ... | 1983 | 6846744 |
| exogenous phospholipase enzymes mimic effects of phenylephrine on ca2+ transport in hepatocytes. | phospholipase c from clostridium perfringens induced the release of 45ca2+ from isolated rat hepatocytes incubated at 0.1 mm extracellular ca2+ with a time course similar to that for the action of phenylephrine. under the conditions of these experiments, no significant damage to the plasma membrane was detected in the presence of phospholipase c. little 45ca2+ release was induced by bee venom phospholipase a2. at 1.3 mm extracellular ca2+, both phospholipase enzymes stimulated the initial rate o ... | 1983 | 6847637 |
| nutritional requirements of two flower spiroplasmas and honeybee spiroplasma. | a chemically defined medium (cc-494) was used to study the nutritional requirements of three spiroplasmas representing three distinct serogroups: flower spiroplasmas [spiroplasma floricola and fs (sr-3)] and honeybee spiroplasma [hbs (as-576)]. glucose, fructose, and mannose were utilized by all three spiroplasmas. in addition, the honeybee spiroplasma could ferment trehalose, fs (sr-3) could ferment sucrose, and s. floricola could ferment trehalose, sucrose, and raffinose. the three spiroplasma ... | 1983 | 6848486 |
| assessment of venom-specific igg antibody in patients treated for hymenoptera allergy. | the igg antibody (ab) response achieved with specific venom immunotherapy was explored in 32 patients with hymenoptera hypersensitivity. venom-specific igg ab was quantitated before and after 1 year of immunotherapy using two solid phase radioimmunoassay (spria) methods. an agarose-based test using 125i-staphylococcus aureus protein a (spria) was used to determine specific igg for five hymenoptera species: yellow jacket (yj), honeybee (hb), yellow-faced hornet (yh), white-faced hornet (wfh), and ... | 1983 | 6852947 |
| the effect of apamin on non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic vasodilator mechanisms in the intestines of the cat. | the effects of apamin, a polypeptide isolated from bee venom, on different vasodilator mechanisms in the small and large intestines were studied in atropinized cats. in the large intestine vasodilatation in response to pelvic nerve stimulation was either abolished or markedly diminished by i.a. apamin. however, neither the contraction of colonic muscle which occurred under these conditions nor sympathetic vasoconstriction was significantly influenced by apamin, suggesting that the effect of the ... | 1983 | 6875956 |
| antigenic, adjuvant and permeability enhancing properties of melittin in mice. | melittin, a mast cell lytic agent which comprises 50% of the protein content of bee venom, may be responsible for some of the severe reactions produced by bee stings in allergic and non-allergic individuals. we therefore investigated some of the biologic properties of this molecule in mice and found that repeated intradermal injections of melittin without adjuvant induced ige formation in mice. in addition, melittin as well as another surfactant, saponin, were potent adjuvants for ige formation ... | 1981 | 6940463 |
| an immunoenzyme assay for quantitation of human igg antibodies to honeybee venom phospholipase a2. | a new method to measure the concentrations of igg antibodies to phospholipase a2 in sera from patients treated with honeybee venom immunotherapy is described. this method utilizes a microcentrifugal analyzer to detect inhibition of pla2 enzymatic activity by antibodies in serum standards and unknowns. sera from beekeepers with known concentrations of specific antibodies, measured by radioimmunoprecipitation, were used to construct a logit-log standard curve for the immunoenzyme assay. the standa ... | 1980 | 6987314 |
| stepwise cleavage of the pro part of promelittin by dipeptidylpeptidase iv. evidence for a new type of precursor--product conversion. | melittin, the main constituent of honeybee venom, is derived from promelittin. in the amino acid sequence of the 'pro' region of this precursor, every second residue is either proline or alanine. the possibility has been investigated that activation of promellitin might proceed via sequential liberation of dipeptides catalyzed by a dipeptidylpeptidase iv. as substrates we used promelittin isolated from queen bees fed with radioactive proline, and enzymatic fragments of prepromelittin which conta ... | 1980 | 7002560 |
| flow-cytometric analysis of human basophil degranulation. iii. degranulation induced by allergens and antibodies in hay fever and bee venom allergic patients. | human basophil degranulation responses to grass pollen and whole bee venom as allergens and to anti-ige and anti-igg4 as antibodies in hay fever and bee venom allergic patients were assessed using a flow-cytometric system. the concordance of basophil degranulation with skin tests and rast assays reached more than 90%. these allergens and antibodies could degranulate basophils in a dose-dependent manner; however, there was a wide variation in the response of basophils obtained from different indi ... | 1981 | 7007256 |
| some studies on the composition and surface properties of oil bodies from the seed cotyledons of safflower (carthamus tinctorius) and linseed (linum ustatissimum). | 1. the average oil-body diameter in intact cells of developing linseed (linum usitatissimum) and safflower (carthamus tinctorius) cotyledons was similar (about 1.4 micrometer), and there was little change in size after oil bodies were isolated and repeatedly washed. 2. the glycerolipid composition of washed oil bodies from both developing and mature cotyledons of the two species was similar; oil bodies from ten different batches of cotyledons contained 4.3 +/- 0.16 mumol of 3-sn-phosphatidylchol ... | 1980 | 7008782 |
| sequence and specificity of two antibacterial proteins involved in insect immunity. | immune responses have been described for many different insect species. however, it is generally acknowledged that immune systems must therefore differ from those of vertebrates. an effective humoral immune response has been found in pupae of the cecropia moth, hyalophora cecropia. the expression of this multicomponent system requires de novo synthesis of rna and proteins and its broad antibacterial activity is due to at least three independent mechanisms, the most well known of which is the ins ... | 1981 | 7019715 |
| the estimation of bee venom specific human igg. | bee venom specific human igg was measured by solid phase sandwich radioimmunoassay (ria) using bee venom adsorbed to polystyrene tubes. ria results were found to correlate with those obtained in an enzyme immunoassay (eia) for bee venom specific igg. the ria did not suffer from the high background often associated with other solid phase radioimmunoassays for human igg. furthermore, both the ria and eia were simple to perform, inexpensive and highly reproducible. | 1981 | 7020492 |
| involvement of lysosomal enzymes in mouse embryo implantation: effect of the anti-oestrogen, ci-628 citrate. | implantation of embryos was studied in mice which had bee ovariectomized on the afternoon of day 4 of pregnancy and injected intraperitoneally with a non-steroidal antioestrogen or control injection. normal implantations were obtained in the latter mice as indicated from the positive blue-dye sites when animals were killed late in the evening of day 4. exposure to ci-628, however, led to a significant inhibition in the number of implantations and only a small percentage of the mice exposed to th ... | 1981 | 7021743 |
| in situ microfluorometry of whole kinetoplast and nuclear dna in a single cell of trypanosoma gambiense and trypanosoma cruzi. | in situ microfluorometry of whole kinetoplast dna (k-dna) and nuclear dna (n-dna) from a single trypomastigote cell of trypanosoma gambiense (strain wellcome) and trypanosoma cruzi (strain tulahuen) was attempted by using the microfluorometer combined with a photon counter. the results obtained were summarized as follows; 1. the k-dna value of 2k 1n (2 kinetoplasts and 1 nucleus) t. gambiense was about twofold as much as that of 1k 1n on. 2. the n-dna value of 2k 1n t. gambiense was a little les ... | 1981 | 7032147 |
| cleavage of honeybee prepromelittin by an endoprotease from rat liver microsomes: identification of intact signal peptide. | it has previously been shown that rat liver microsomes contain a proteolytic enzyme that cleaves honeybee prepromelittin to yield promelittin. this enzyme has now been further purified by centrifugation on a sucrose-deoxycholate gradient and then reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles. incubation of prepromelittin with vesicles in the presence of melittin yields, in addition to promelittin, a hydrophobic peptide. the latter could be isolated by extraction with l-butanol and paper electrophores ... | 1982 | 7048315 |
| kinetics and mechanism of hemolysis induced by melittin and by a synthetic melittin analogue. | the cytotoxic peptide from honeybee venom, melittin, and a synthetic peptide analogue of it lyse human erythrocytes in a biphasic process. the kinetics of the lysis in 0.30 m sucrose, 0.01 m sodium phosphate, ph 7.30 at 4 degrees c were investigated. our results show that melittin rapidly binds to the outer surface of the erythrocyte membrane, and the surface-bound monomers produce transient openings through which approximately 40 hemoglobin molecules can escape. concomitantly, the melittin lose ... | 1982 | 7055625 |
| a third dna polymerase from spiroplasma citri and two other spiroplasmas. | recently, two dna polymerases (sca and scb) were isolated and characterized from spiroplasma citri. we now have found a third dna polymerase (scc) not only in s. citri but also in the serologically related honeybee spiroplasma bc3 and the unrelated flower spiroplasma bnr1. enzyme scc is n-ethylmaleimide (nem) sensitive. the three dna polymerases from the honeybee spiroplasma seem to be similar to the respective enzymes of s. citri. however, whereas the nem-resistant enzyme sca from s. citri and ... | 1982 | 7061384 |
| spiroplasmas: cultivation in chemically defined medium. | a chemically defined medium, cc-494, supports the cultivation in vitro of several spiroplasmas belonging to three distinct serogroups. medium cc-494 supports the growth of flower spiroplasmas fs 23-6 and fs sr-3 and of honey bee spiroplasma hbs as-576. the maximal populations of the two flower spiroplasmas and honey bee spiroplasma are comparable to those cultured in the undefined medium c-3g. the growth rate for all three spiroplasmas is slower in the defined medium. | 1982 | 7063844 |
| organization and role of platelet membrane phospholipids as studied with phospholipases a2 from various venoms and phospholipases c from bacterial origin. | phospholipases a2 from various snake or bee venoms and phospholipases c secreted as exotoxins by several bacteria have been used to study the transverse distribution of phospholipids in the platelet plasma membrane and their role in platelet activation. an asymmetric distribution was described for phospholipids, characterized by a preferential localization of sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine in plasma membrane outer leaflet, whereas the inner half contains almost all of the anionic procoagu ... | 1982 | 7080042 |
| adolapin--a newly isolated analgetic and anti-inflammatory polypeptide from bee venom. | adolapin was isolated by a two-step procedure: gel filtration and chromatography on cm cellulose. the molecular mass of the polypeptide as determined by sds electrophoresis and amino acid composition proved to be 11500 and 11092 respectively. adolapin exhibited a potent analgesic effect demonstrated by the "writhing" test (ed50-0,016mg/kg) and by the randall-sellito's test (ed50-0,013 mg/kg). the anti-inflammatory activity of adolapin was most marked with regard to carrageenin, prostaglandin and ... | 1982 | 7080045 |
| in vitro induction of germinal vesicle breakdown in xenopus laevis oocytes by melittin. | the bee venom, melittin, is an amphipathic polypeptide comprising 26 amino acids with known sequence. it consists of a hydrophobic and a basic hydrophilic segment, possesses lipolytic activity, and stimulates na+-k+ pump activity. at 1.5 microm melittin induces 98% germinal vesicle breakdown (gvbd) in stage vi (dumont) oocytes and 96% in stage iv oocytes. progesterone (30 microm) induced 100% gvbd in stage vi oocytes and none in stage iv oocytes. gvbd occurs earlier with melittin than with proge ... | 1982 | 7084570 |
| stimulation of fatty acid methylation in human red cell membranes by phospholipase a2 activation. | nonpolar methylated products comprise approximately 50% of the radioactive material extractable into chloroform/methanol after incubation of human red cell membranes with s-[methyl-3h]adenosylmethionine. one of these nonpolar products is fatty acid methyl ester. the enzyme which synthesizes fatty acid methyl ester had an apparent km for s-adenosylmethionine of about 0.6 micro m and a vmax of about 0.6 pmol/mg protein per 30 min. half-maximal activity was achieved upon addition of about 20 micro ... | 1982 | 7104380 |
| calcium and the action of adrenaline, adenosine triphosphate and carbachol on guinea-pig taenia caeci. | 1. the action of adrenaline (in the presence of propranolol; 3 x 10(-6) m), adenosine triphosphate (atp) and carbachol on guinea-pig taenia caeci, and the interaction between these agonists, was studied by measuring changes in membrane potential using the sucrose-gap method in quiescent preparations at 22 degrees c.2. a sustained hyperpolarization was caused by addition of adrenaline (3 x 10(-6) m) and by applying adenosine triphosphate (atp; 4 x 10(-4) m) for 5 min in krebs solution. in calcium ... | 1982 | 7108782 |
| spiroplasmal viruses: group 1 characteristics. | virus-like particles of three morphologic groups have been detected by electron microscopy in 90% of spiroplasma strains. in this study, virus-like particles of group 1 (spv1)--unenveloped rods 230-280 nm by 10-15 nm--were found in 575 of spiroplasmas. spv1 occurred spontaneously in large numbers in cultures of strains b (corn stunt), g1 (tulip tree flower), bc3 (honeybee), and kc3 (honeybee), respectively; the viruses were isolated and assayed as plaque-forming units, with several of the same s ... | 1982 | 7123048 |
| polyacrylamide gel analysis of spiroplasmas proteins and its contribution to the taxonomy of spiroplasmas. | representative strains of the known groups and serogroups of spiroplasmas have been compared on the basis of the results of one- and two-dimensional protein analysis on polyacrylamide gels. each of the four subgroups of the spiroplasma citri complex (s. citri and honeybee, corn stunt, and 277f spiroplasmas) has characteristic protein profiles and maps. spiroplasma g1 isolated from flowers has a protein profile closely related to that of the honeybee spiroplasmas (kc3, bc3, as576, b1707, b88, and ... | 1982 | 7123051 |
| bee venom therapy of adjuvant arthritis. | | 1982 | 7131471 |
| effect of phospholipase a2 on calcium transport in brain synaptosomes. | pretreatment of isolated brain synaptic endings with commercial phospholipase a2 isolated from venom of apis mellifera, followed by a bsa washing, selectively inhibited the depolarization-dependent portion of 45ca uptake. phospholipase a2 initially caused an increase of synaptosome respiration and subsequently inhibited their oxygen uptake, but this effect was completely abolished in bsa-containing media. the classical uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, dnp, produced release of 45ca or [3h] ... | 1982 | 7131592 |
| specific binding and pharmacological interactions of apamin, the neurotoxin from bee venom, with guinea pig colon. | this paper describes the interaction of apamin, the bee venom neurotoxin, with its receptor in the guinea pig colon. the pharmacological activity of the toxin was assayed by measuring its contracting effect on guinea pig colon preparations that had been previously relaxed by neurotensin. the ic50 value of apamin in this in vitro bioassay is 7 nm. these pharmacological data are compared to the binding properties of apamin to smooth muscle membranes prepared from guinea pig colon. the highly radio ... | 1982 | 7132561 |
| enhanced ige and igg anti-melittin antibody formation induced by heparin-melittin complexes in mice. | it is known that heparin which is strongly anionic will precipitate in vitro with cationic proteins such as melittin, the principal constituent of bee venom. our experiments indicate that mice immunized with complexes of melittin and heparin produced greater amounts of ige and igg antibody (to this protein) than did mice immunized with melittin alone. it is possible that heparin released from mast cells following a bee sting could complex with melittin and enhance the allergenic properties of th ... | 1982 | 7137526 |
| crossed radioimmunoelectrophoretic studies of bee venom allergens. | crossed immunoelectrophoresis (cie) glass slides of honey bee venom showing 18 immunoprecipitates were used in crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis (crie) experiments with sera from 25 patients allergic to honey bee venoms. phospholipase a, acid phosphatase, hyaluronidase and melittin were demonstrated in the immunoprecipitates using zymographic techniques and direct hemolysis of sheep erythrocytes. the crie experiments verified the allergenicity of these proteins. in addition, another antigen (ag ... | 1982 | 7137529 |
| crossed immunoelectrophoresis analysis of bee venom. enzymatic identification of antigens. | bee venom obtained by electrical stimulation has been analysed by crossed immunoelectrophoresis against high-titer rabbit antibodies. the antigenic analysis of bee venom revealed that the extract contained 17 antigens, which were detected in the crossed immunoelectrophoresis pattern after staining with coomassie brilliant blue. the crossed immunoelectrophoresis pattern indicated heterogeneity in several of the antigens, as most of the precipitates (exhibiting enzyme and hemolytic activities) rep ... | 1982 | 7137530 |
| [rapid transmembrane migration of phosphatidylcholine under the influence of cytochrome p-450]. | the phosphatidylcholine exchange protein and bee venom phospholipase a2 were used to estimate the phosphatidylcholine accessibility in proteoliposome-containing cytochrome p-450. without cytochrome p-450 phosphatidylcholine was only partly accessible for the both membrane probes. incorporation of cytochrome p-450 into the liposomes resulted in a complete accessibility of phosphatidylcholine for the phosphatidylcholine exchange protein and phospholipase a2. on the other hand, phosphatidylcholine ... | 1982 | 7159628 |
| beta-bungarotoxin-induced cell-death of neurons in chick retina. | the cytotoxicity of beta-bungarotoxin (beta-btx), a snake venom neurotoxin with phospholipase a2 activity, for chick neurons was investigated using organ and monolayer cultures of retina. beta-btx led to a marked reduction in the total activities of choline acetyltransferase and glutamate decarboxylase of retina cultures at concentrations as low as 100 pm. the total activity of lactate dehydrogenase was, however, much less affected by beta-btx. also, the total activity of tyrosine hydroxylase of ... | 1982 | 7171991 |
| preparation of neurotoxic 3h-beta-bungarotoxin: demonstration of saturable binding to brain synapses and its inhibition by toxin i. | 1. homogeneous beta-bungarotoxin, isolated from the venom of bungarus multicinctus was radiolabelled with n-succinimidyl-[2.3-(3) h]propionate. stable, di-propionylated material was obtained which was tritiated on both subunits and had a specific radioactivity of 102 ci/mmol. 2. after separation from unlabelled toxin by isoelectric focussing, it was shown to exhibit significant biological activity in both the peripheral and central nervous systems but had negligible phospholipase a2 activity tow ... | 1982 | 7173209 |
| purification and preliminary characterization of spiroplasma fibrils. | fibrils 3.5 nm in diameter were released from the honeybee spiroplasma (bc3) by treatment with detergents and then purified by isopycnic centrifugation. purified fibrils were flexuous, of indeterminate length, and had an axial repeat of 8.5 nm. the fibrils were associated in pairs, but in 1 m salt formed aggregates with a marked striated appearance. pronase completely degraded the fibrils, but trypsin had little effect. the fibrils were composed of a single protein of molecular weight 55,000 whi ... | 1980 | 7189752 |
| intrinsic differences in the perturbing ability of alkanols in bilayer: action of phospholipase a2 on the alkanol-modified phospholipid bilayer. | the kinetic parameters for the steady-state rate of hydrolysis of egg phosphatidylcholine in multilamellar vesicles by bee venom phospholipase a2 are measured in the presence of 27 alkanols and several organic solvents. in general, small nonpolar solutes like enflurane, tetrahydrofuran, benzene, chloroform and diethylether do not promote the hydrolysis of multilamellar vesicles. the rate of hydrolysis shows a biphasic dependence upon the alkanol concentration for all higher (c5-c9) alcohols exam ... | 1980 | 7191009 |
| a reevaluation of the process of enucleation in mammalian erythroid cells. | in this paper, we have analysed cells which are in the process of enucleation in mouse spleen. we have provided additional support for the hypothesis that erythroid cells can autonomously undergo enucleation. the presence of a constriction in the nucleus and in the plasma membrane during this process has bee confirmed. microfilaments have been described for the first time in the cytoplasm of maturing erythroid cells. their position during enucleation is suggestive of an active role for these ele ... | 1981 | 7197361 |
| the effects of honey bee (apis mellifera l.) venom and two of its constituents, melittin and phospholipase a2, on the cardiovascular system of the rat. | | 1980 | 7210027 |
| dna homology among diverse spiroplasma strains representing several serological groups. | deoxyribonucleic acid (dna) homology among 10 strains of spiroplasma associated with plants and insects was assessed by analysis of dna-dna hybrids with single strand specific s1 nuclease. based on dna homology, the spiroplasmas could be divided into three genetically distinct groups (designated i, ii, and iii), corresponding to three separate serogroups described previously. dna sequence homology between the three groups was less than or equal to 5%. based on dna homology, group i could be divi ... | 1980 | 7214225 |
| helical, motile mycoplasmas associated with flowers and honey bees in california. | spiroplasmas were cultured from nonsurface-sterilized flowers of magnolia tree (magnolia grandiflora l.) and tulip tree (liriodendron tulipfera l.) in alameda, solano, and yolo counties in california. spiroplasmas were also isolated from honey bees (apis mellifera l.) collected in the vicinity of davis and berkeley, ca. most of the isolates grew relatively slowly at 31 or 37 degrees c reaching maximum population at 31 degrees c in 8-10 days. the flower isolates were serologically indistinguishab ... | 1981 | 7214240 |
| [a mathematical simulation model to estimate the population development in a bee (apis mellifera l.) colony following infestation with the mite varroa jacobsoni oud]. | | 1980 | 7223185 |
| influence of enzymatic phospholipid cleavage on the permeability of the erythrocyte membrane: iii. discrimination between the causal role of split products and of lecithin removal. | cleavage of 55% of the lecithin in intact human erythrocytes by phospholipase a2 (bee venom) markedly inhibits the mediated transport of l-lactate (via the monocarboxylate carrier) and of l-arabinose (via the monosaccharide carrier), while the major anion exchange system (probed by oxalate) and diffusion via the lipid domain (probed by erythritol) remain essentially unaltered. the causal role of the split products, unsaturated fatty acids and saturated lysolecithin, and of lecithin removal were ... | 1981 | 7241575 |
| gluconobacters from honey bees. | fifty-six gluconobacter strains and one acetobacter strain were isolated from honey bees and their environment in three different regions in belgium and identified phenotypically. polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the soluble cell proteins showed that two different types exist within the gluconobacter isolates: strains from type a were found in samples of the three regions, whereas strains from type b were only isolated in two of the three regions. both types could occur in bees from the sam ... | 1981 | 7259151 |
| [effect of phospholipase a2 from the venoms of bee and middle asian cobra on choline uptake by synaptosomes]. | the effect of purified phospholipase a2 from venom of the bee apis mellifica and from venom of the cobra naja naja oxiana on the na+-dependent high affinity choline transport into the synaptosomes of rabbit corpus striatum (active uptake) was studied. both phospholipases a2 were shown to inhibit the active choline uptake by the synaptosomes. the bee venom phospholipase at a concentration of 10(-8) m and the cobra venom phospholipase at a concentration of 10(-6) m produced a 50% inhibition of cho ... | 1981 | 7295818 |
| neurotensin is a potent inhibitor of guinea-pig colon contractile activity. | the investigation concerned the effects of neurotensin (nt) on the mechanical activity of segments of guinea-pig proximal colon. the peptide, in concentrations ranging from 0.1 nm to 100 nm, induced a quick relaxation of the preparations which was followed upon washout by a rebound contraction. tetrodotoxin had no effect on either the nt-induced relaxation or the rebound contraction. blocking agents of alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors were also without effect. the bee venom toxin apamin inhibited a ... | 1981 | 7297599 |
| immunoglobulin e antibodies that crossreact with vegetable foods, pollen, and hymenoptera venom. | ige in some human sera reacted with an antigen present in a large number of unrelated foods: potato, spinach, wheat, buckwheat, peanut, honey and others. the antigen, which was periodate-sensitive and heat-stable, was also found in pollen. even more surprisingly, these antibodies often reacted in vitro with bee and vespid venom and were sometimes apparently induced by hymenoptera stings. | 1981 | 7298999 |
| experimental inhalation injury in the goat. | inhalation injuries are usually produced by inhalation of gaseous or particulate products of incomplete combustion and are rarely due to heat per se unless steam is inhaled. the clinical and anatomic characteristics of an appropriate animal model should mimic the disease encountered clinically. a model of inhalation injury has been produced in anesthetized goats through the use of a modified bee smoker. the smoke is delivered at a low temperature and contains byproducts of incomplete combustion. ... | 1981 | 7299865 |
| apamin, a nonspecific antagonist of smooth muscle relaxants. | apamin, a peptide of bee venom, was shown to inhibit the relaxant responses of guinea-pig taenia caeci to atp, noradrenaline, adenosine and, less effectively, to stimulation of noradrenergic inhibitory nerves. thus apamin acts nonspecifically and, contrary to the suggestion of vladimirova and shuba (1978), the fact that inhibitory responses due to nerve stimulation and atp are blocked by the toxin does not allow conclusions as to the possible transmitter role of atp in these nerves. | 1980 | 7366739 |
| albumin mediates lysis of erythrocytes by bee venom phospholipase a2 activated with oleoyl imidazolide. | | 1980 | 7380019 |
| [basic peptides from bee venom, iv. synthesis of the mast cell-degranulating peptide by liquid-phase fragment condensation (author's transl)]. | the synthesis of the mast cell-degranulating peptide by liquid-phase fragment condensation is described. after the carboxyterminal of the peptide is condensated with polyethylene-glycol (mr 10000) the following fragments are coupled stepwise on the polymer, a soluble carrier in dichloromethane by the dicyclohexylcarbodiimide/hydroxybenzotriazole-method. pos. 17-21 boc-lys(z)-ile-cys(sipr)-gly-lys(z) (i) pos. 12-16 boc-pro-his(trt)-ile-cys(trt)-arg(tos) (ii) pos. 8-11 boc-his(trt)-val-ile-lys(z) ... | 1980 | 7380391 |
| [basic peptides in bee venom, vi. structure-activity studies on the anti-inflammatory effects of derivatives and fragments of the mcd-peptide (author's transl)]. | mastcell-degranulating peptide from bee venom exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenine-inflammation model on mice and rats. its dose/response relationship corresponds to that of dexamethasone. in the 125i-rat serum albumin-test the substance shows an inhibitory effect of 87% on the developing carrageenine edema at a dose of 1 mg/kg; in contrast the bee venom peptides apamin and melittin exhibit small edema supressing effects. the anti-inflammatory characteristics of mcd-peptide ha ... | 1980 | 7380393 |
| multi-image camera for spot radiography at fluoroscopic examinations. | the image quality of photofluorographic spot films (70, 100 or 105mm) has bee gradually improving as high resolution image intensification has evolved. with newly available 1023-line fluoroscopic monitors providing 2.8 line pairs/mm resolution, it is now possible to photograph diagnostic images directly off the monitor. such images provide detail similar to that currently available on 100mm spot films. a multi-image camera has been modified to record spot films from the video disc image resultin ... | 1980 | 7384502 |
| in vitro peripheral airway constriction to honey bee venom in cat. | isolated lung parenchymal strips (peripheral airways) of cats responded to histamine, carbachol, 5-ht, bradykinin and honey bee-venom with concentration-dependent contractions. atropine, mepyramine and methysergide inhibited or reversed contractions to carbachol, histamine and 5-ht respectively. atropine, methysergide and indomethacin did not influence contractions to honey bee venom. high doses of mepyramine (h1-antagonist) inhibited or reversed the bee venom-induced contractions. these observ ... | 1980 | 7404985 |
| action of phospholipase a2 on unmodified phosphatidylcholine bilayers: organizational defects are preferred sites of action. | the hydrolytic action of the bee venom phospholipase a2 on phosphatidylcholine bilayers is studied under a variety of conditions that introduce alterations in the packing, such as those induced by sonication, gel to liquid crystalline phase transition, and osmotic shock. two phases of hydrolysis could be resolved under a wide range of experimental conditions. with the various forms of the bilayers one observes only a partial hydrolysis of the total available substrate during the first phase. how ... | 1980 | 7411590 |
| the effect of apamin on nonadrenergic, noncholinergic nervous vasodilatations in the cat small intestine. | the intestinal vasodilation evoked by mechanical mucosal stimulation or by transmural electrical field stimulation was abolished by close i.a. injection of apamin, a polypeptide originally isolated from bee venom. apamin also blocked the vasodilatation induced by close i.a. infusion of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (vip). it is suggested that apamin is a vip receptor antagonist. | 1980 | 7418803 |
| polymerized insoluble bee venom. | using a polymerization process previously used for ragweed allergens, honeybee venom was polymerized. instead of soluble polymers, an insoluble precipitate, polymerized insoluble bee venom (pibv), is the result. a major allergen of honeybee venom, 125i phospholipase a (pl-a) incorporated into pibv, was shown to have decreased dissemination from subcutaneous injection sites. after thorough mixing, samples of pibv can be withdrawn from a vial with a syringe with no more than 10% error. approximate ... | 1980 | 7430506 |
| interference in ragweed pollen and honeybee venom radioallergosorbent tests. | we studied sera from patients sensitive to short ragweed (srw) and honeybee venom (hbv) to investigate serum factors able to interfere with the measurement of ige antibody levels by the radioallergosorbent test (rast). we heated sera to destroy ige antibodies and tested them for interference in the rast. heating sera for 4 hr at 56 degrees c destroyed up to 98% of the ige antibody activity. after immunotherapy sera from patients sensitive to srw and hbv produced striking interference in the rast ... | 1980 | 7440856 |
| effect of tumor promoters on induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase in human lymphocytes. | the induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylases in lymphocytes is dependent on their activation. the tumor-promoting phorbol esters which induce blast formation and dna synthesis in lymphocytes enable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to induce aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylases. melittin, the major constituent of bee venom, acts synergistically with these phorbol esters in enhancing both lymphocyte activation and hydroxylase synthesis. since aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylases convert procarcinogens to carc ... | 1980 | 7449754 |
| the action of apamin on guinea-pig taenia caeci. | apamin (10(-7) m), a substance extracted from bee venom (apis mellifica) causes stimulation of the taenia caeci as seen from an increase in spike activity. the inhibitory effect of atp or adrenaline (adr) was reflected by hyperpolarization of the muscle cell, cessation of spike activity and relaxation of the muscle. the 42k efflux and the membrane conductance were enhanced in the presence of these substances. apamin converted the hyperpolarization caused by atp or adr into a transient depolariza ... | 1980 | 7461033 |
| an infarct-like myocardial lesion experimentally induced in wistar rats with africanized bee venom. | there is evidence in the literature that death following a bee or wasp sting may result from cardiac involvement. this study describes acute cardiac lesions experimentally induced in wistar rats submitted to intravenous inoculation of africanized bee venom (abv) and killed 1, 4, and 24 h after inoculation. significant increases in serum enzyme levels were detected; light microscopy showed necrosis of the myocardium; and enzyme histochemistry showed inactivation of enzymes in and around the areas ... | 1995 | 7472785 |
| effect of different formulations of propolis on mice infected with trypanosoma cruzi. | propolis, a bee product, can be regarded as one of the potential natural sources in folk medicine, displaying strong antimicrobial activity. previous work showed that propolis extracts exhibited in vitro activity against trypanosoma cruzi (higashi and de castro, 1994). different formulations of propolis were administered to experimentally trypanosoma cruzi-infected mice and the parasitemia kinetics and survival rate were monitored. the oral administration of ethanolic extracts up to 1.2 g propol ... | 1995 | 7475123 |
| the relationship between the adrenal tissue renin-angiotensin system, internalization of the type i angiotensin ii receptor (at1) and angiotensin ii function in the rat adrenal zona glomerulosa cell. | many data suggest that the elements of the tissue renin-angiotensin system (ras) in the adrenal cortex are mostly located in the zona glomerulosa. the relationship of this paracrine/autocrine system with the cellular localization of the angiotensin ii (aii) receptor has not bee clarified. using a specific monoclonal antibody (6313/g2) to the first extracellular domain of the type 1 receptor (at1), we show here that most of the receptor is internalized in the rat glomerulosa cell. this may result ... | 1995 | 7484434 |
| continuous measurement of phospholipase a2 activity using the fluorescent probe adifab. | a new method is described for the continuous quantitation of phospholipase a2 (pla2) activity with greatly improved sensitivity compared to existing techniques. the method utilizes a fluorescent probe to detect the release of fatty acid monomers (free fatty acids) into the aqueous phase. the fluorescent probe adifab, which is the acrylodan derivative of rat intestinal fatty acid binding protein, exhibits a change in the ratio of its fluorescence upon binding medium- to long-chain native fatty ac ... | 1995 | 7485980 |
| an essential role for lysophosphatidylcholine in the inhibition of platelet aggregation by secretory phospholipase a2. | the release of secretory phospholipase a2 (spla2) into the mammalian circulation may contribute to the development of hemorrhagic and inflammatory diseases. spla2 has previously been shown to alter the behavior of platelets, leukocytes, and endothelial cells, although the molecular basis for these cellular effects has not been established. our studies indicate that the inhibition of platelet aggregation by snake, bee venom, and pancreatic spla2 is dependent on a plasma cofactor. this cofactor re ... | 1995 | 7492774 |
| bee venom phospholipase a2 is recognized by the macrophage mannose receptor. | a high affinity and a specific binding site for bee venom pla2 was found on the surface of j774e macrophages. the binding sites for bee venom pla2 are entirely different from the binding sites for pancreatic and snake venom pla2 as revealed by competition experiments. binding and uptake of bee venom pla2 by j774e macrophages was shown to be competed by mannose-bsa, glucose-bsa, n-acetylglucosamine-bsa, but not by galactose-bsa, indicating that the binding of bee venom pla2 is probably mediated b ... | 1995 | 7503563 |
| epitope-dependent nonreciprocal regulation of ige and igg2a antibody formation. | the antigen dose-dependent production of ige versus igg2a antibodies has been investigated using keyhole limpet hemocyanin (klh) and bee venom phospholipase a2 (pla2) as antigens. repeated injections of minute doses (0.1 microgram/mouse) of klh into cba/j mice lead to relatively high titers of ige antibodies which are gradually reduced in animals that had received higher doses of antigen. in contrast, the igg2a antibody titers are inversely correlated, resulting in low titers after repeated inje ... | 1994 | 7507369 |
| growth suppression and toxicity induced by caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape) in type 5 adenovirus-transformed rat embryo cells correlate directly with transformation progression. | the active component of the honeybee hive product propolis, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape), induces a selective growth suppressive and toxic effect toward cloned rat embryo fibroblast cells transformed by adenovirus type 5 (ad5) or the ad5 e1a transforming gene versus untransformed cloned rat embryo fibroblast cells (z-z. su et al., mol. carcinog., 4: 231-242, 1991). the present study was conducted to determine whether cape-induced growth suppression/toxicity was a direct result of expressi ... | 1994 | 7511055 |
| antigen-binding glycosylation inhibiting factor from a human t-cell hybridoma specific for bee venom phospholipase a2. | we obtained human t-cell hybridomas that are specific for bee venom phospholipase a2 (pla2) and constitutively secrete glycosylation inhibiting factor (gif). upon crosslinking of cd3, the hybridoma produced gif having affinity for pla2. when affinity-purified pla2-binding gif was used as an immunogen, monoclonal antibodies specific for the antigen-binding gif were obtained. monoclonal antibody 110bh3 bound the antigen-binding gif but failed to bind the 13-kda nonspecific gif, as determined by bo ... | 1994 | 7511819 |
| mechanisms involved in the antiinflammatory effect of propolis extract. | propolis is a natural product produced by the honey bee. the extract contains amino acids, flavanoids, terpenes and cinnamic acid derivatives. in various in vitro models propolis extract was shown to inhibit platelet aggregation and to inhibit eicosanoid synthesis, suggesting that it might have potent antiinflammatory properties. a 13% aqueous extract was tested orally in three dose levels (1, 5 and 10 ml/kg) on the carrageenan rat paw oedema model and on adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. in b ... | 1993 | 7513636 |
| human monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies recognize predominantly discontinuous epitopes on bee venom phospholipase a2. | two hybridomas, which secrete human monoclonal antibodies of igg4 isotype specific for the main bee venom antigen/allergen phospholipase a2, were generated. the antigenic determinants recognized by these antibodies were mapped and compared with the binding sites of murine monoclonal and human polyclonal antibodies raised against the same antigen. | 1994 | 7517969 |
| lysine residues in bee venom phospholipase a2 are important for binding to human monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies of the igg4 isotope. | discontinuous antigenic sites on bee venom phospholipase a2 (pla) have been mapped using human monoclonal antibodies or human polyclonal serum antibodies (hpabs) of the igg4 isotype from beekeepers or of the ige isotype from individuals allergic to pla. lysine residues of pla have been specifically modified by acetylation or acylation by treatment with citraconic anhydride of their epsilon-amino groups to analyze their role in antigen-antibody binding. after the modifications, the binding of pla ... | 1994 | 7518267 |
| natural and recombinant enzymatically active or inactive bee venom phospholipase a2 has the same potency to release histamine from basophils in patients with hymenoptera allergy. | a complementary dna encoding the major bee venom allergen phospholipase a2 (pla) has been characterized recently. recombinant pla was produced in escherichia coli and purified to apparent homogeneity. natural pla was compared with recombinant pla in its ability to release histamine from blood basophils. | 1995 | 7541059 |
| apoptosis and altered redox state induced by caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape) in transformed rat fibroblast cells. | caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape), which is derived from the propolis of bee hives, was shown previously to block tumor promoter- and carcinogen-generated oxidative processes in several assays and to engender differential toxicity to some transformed cells. to study the mechanisms of cape-induced differential cytotoxicity, nontumorigenic rat embryo fibroblasts (cref) and adenovirus (type 5)-transformed cref cells (wt3a) were used. as shown by nucleosomal-length dna degradation, morphological a ... | 1995 | 7543016 |
| a link between catalytic activity, ige-independent mast cell activation, and allergenicity of bee venom phospholipase a2. | the molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling ab isotype selection following encounter of a given ag are still unclear, although the regulatory role of cytokines is established. in the present study we explored the possibility that the nonimmunologic interaction of an allergen with cells of the innate immune system might result in a release of mediators that promote ige isotype selection in adaptive responses. using the bee venom allergen phospholipase a2 (pla2) and a mutant variant lacking ... | 1995 | 7544378 |
| effect of thielocin a1 beta on bee venom phospholipase a2-induced edema in mouse paw. | several investigators have reported that inactivation of secretory phospholipase a2 purified from bee venom with p-bromophenacyl bromide, an irreversible inhibitor, before injection resulted in attenuation of the subsequent inflammatory reaction in the mouse paw edema model. recently, thielocin a1 beta, a novel secretory phospholipase a2 inhibitor from fungi, was found to suppress histamine release from mast cells stimulated with secretory phospholipase a2. these observations led us to examine t ... | 1995 | 7556394 |
| escherichia coli chorismate synthase catalyzes the conversion of (6s)-6-fluoro-5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate to 6-fluorochorismate. implications for the enzyme mechanism and the antimicrobial action of (6s)-6-fluoroshikimate. | chorismate synthase catalyzes the conversion of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate to chorismate. it is the seventh enzyme of the shikimate pathway, which is responsible for the biosynthesis of aromatic metabolites from glucose. the chorismate synthase reaction involves a 1,4-elimination with unusual anti-stereochemistry and requires a reduced flavin cofactor. the substrate analogue (6s)-6-fluoro-5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate is a competitive inhibitor of neurospora crassa chorismate syntha ... | 1995 | 7559411 |
| preparation of soluble recombinant t cell receptor alpha chain by using a calmodulin fusion expression system. | we have isolated a full length t cell receptor alpha chain (tcr alpha) cdna derived from a bee venom phospholipase a2-specific mouse suppressor t cell hybridoma. a bacterial fusion expression system was constructed using rat calmodulin as a fusion partner for production of soluble tcr alpha. in this system, calmodulin-tcr alpha fusion protein was expressed at a high level in the soluble fraction of bacterial cell lysate, and could be purified by binding of calmodulin portion of the protein to ph ... | 1995 | 7561145 |
| toxicology of cupric salts on honeybees. iv--gluconate and sulfate action on hemolymph trehalose activity in vivo and in vitro. | a biphasic increase of hemolymph glucose levels was observed following injection to bees of cupric gluconate or sulfate, both potent agents for the control of varroa jacobsoni, a parasitic mite of hives. the simultaneous injection to bees of 0.3 microm bayg5421 (an inhibitor of alpha-glucosidases) quenched the response, suggesting a direct effect of 2 nmol/bee cupric ions on trehaloses' activity. one nanomol of injected cupric gluconate increased the trehalose (tre) activity by 233% in crude hem ... | 1995 | 7562956 |
| patterns of nucleotide composition at fourfold degenerate sites of animal mitochondrial genomes. | three statistics (%gc, gc-skew, and at-skew) can be used to describe the overall patterns of nucleotide composition in dna sequences. fourfold degenerate third codon positions from 16 animal mitochondrial genomes were analyzed. the overall composition, as measured by %gc, varies from 3.6 %gc in the honeybee to 47.2 %gc in human mtdna. compositional differences between strands of the mitochondrial genome were quantified using the two skew statistics presented in this paper. strand-specific distri ... | 1995 | 7563121 |
| a high efficiency method for purification and assay of bee venom phospholipase a2. | phospholipase a2 (pla2) is the main allergen of hymenopteran venoms. we describe a highly efficient reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic method (hplc) for isolating pla2 from crude bee venom. this method removes all detectable contaminants such as melittin from pla2 while preserving the hemolytic action of pla2. in addition we describe a simple functional assay of pla2 based on its propensity to cause hemolysis of guinea pig red blood cells. these techniques are particularly wel ... | 1995 | 7567144 |
| epidemiology of allergic reactions in beekeepers: a lower prevalence in subjects with more than 5 years exposure. | beekeepers (bks) represent a high allergic risk population against hymenoptera because of their frequent exposure to bee stings. most published studies show different percentage of sensitization and systemic reactions with to another groups of population. with the aim to know the prevalence and type of allergic reaction in bks from the canary islands, 246 subjects were studied prospectively. a questionnaire was developed and skin test and specific ige determination against apis mellifera, vespul ... | 1995 | 7572542 |
| specific competitive inhibitor of secreted phospholipase a2 from berries of schinus terebinthifolius. | two structurally related triterpenoids 1 and 2 from pink peppercorn (berries of schinus terebinthifolius) are identified and characterized as active site-directed specific competitive inhibitors of the three classes of secreted 14 kda phospholipase a2. the inhibitors not only protect the active site histidine from alkylation but also inhibit the action of secreted phospholipase a2 from pig pancreas, human synovial fluid, and bee venom. detailed x-ray crystallographic results on the structures of ... | 1995 | 7576451 |
| human pancreatic phospholipase a2 stimulates the growth of human pancreatic cancer cell line. | phospholipase a2 (pla2) from human pancreas, designated hpla2-i, functions as a digestive enzyme. interestingly, the present study demonstrated that the mature form of hpla2-i stimulated the growth of a human pancreatic cancer cell line miapaca-2, whereas the pro-form was ineffective. pla2s from laticauda semifasciata fraction i, crotalus adamanteus venom, streptomyces violaceoruber and bee venom, showed no proliferative effect to the growth of miapaca-2. the scatchard plot analysis revealed tha ... | 1995 | 7589440 |
| wells' syndrome in childhood: case report and review of the literature. | we report a severe case of wells' syndrome, or eosinophilic cellulitis, after a bee sting in a 4-year-old girl. the patient had a widespread, painful, blistering eruption that was subsequently complicated by pseudomonas aeruginosa superinfection and septicemia, hypoalbuminemia, anemia, and neutropenia. the skin lesions responded to systemic steroid therapy. there was residual scarring alopecia of the scalp. there have been 17 previous reports of childhood wells' syndrome. we believe that this di ... | 1995 | 7593797 |
| melittin cardiotoxicity in cultured mouse cardiac myocytes and its correlation with calcium overload. | venom from the honey bee apis mellifera induces cardiovascular dysfunction. we studied which constituent(s) of the venom induces cardiotoxicity and how, using cultured cardiac myocytes from mouse fetuses. among the venom constituents, only melittin caused contractile and morphological effects; other peptides, such as apamin and mastparan; enzymes, such as phospholipase a2; and low-molecular-weight compounds, such as histamine and dopamine, did not. treatment with 4.5 micrograms/ml melittin, whic ... | 1995 | 7597704 |
| [gene transfer to airway epithelial cells: current status and future direction]. | advances in recombinant dna technology and molecular and cellular biology have made it feasible to introduce genes into living cells. the most sophisticated gene transduction methods have bee applied to gene therapy strategies for the potential treatment of genetic diseases. in regard to lung diseases, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency and cystic fibrosis, the most common hereditary lung disorders in caucasians, have been targeted for gene therapy. to date, gene therapy studies have been confined t ... | 1994 | 7602850 |
| conversion of a bovine udp-galnac:polypeptide, n-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase to a soluble, secreted enzyme, and expression in sf9 cells. | a soluble, secreted udp-galnac:polypeptide, n-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase, was prepared by substituting the honeybee melittin leader sequence for the sequences coding for the cytoplasmic and membrane spanning domains of a cloned, bovine full-length cdna (f. l. homa et al., 1993, j. biol. chem. 268, 12609-12616). when this construct was expressed in insect cells using a recombinant baculovirus, a fully active soluble enzyme was recovered from the culture medium. in large-scale preparations, a ... | 1995 | 7606161 |
| complement membrane attack complex, perforin, and bacterial exotoxins induce in k562 cells calcium-dependent cross-protection from lysis. | the complement membrane attack complex (mac), the cytolytic granule protein of cytotoxic lymphocytes perforin, the streptococcal exotoxin streptolysin o (slo), and the bee venom polypeptide melittin utilize a similar mechanism to incorporate into cell membranes, induce a ca2+ influx and a rise in intracellular ca2+ concentration, and produce cell lysis. at sublytic concentrations, these proteins trigger several cellular activities, including protein phosphorylation and synthesis. we have recentl ... | 1995 | 7636268 |
| recombinant and chemical derivatives of apamin. implication of post-transcriptional c-terminal amidation of apamin in biological activity. | the use of the colicin a lysis protein to direct the extracellular release of a fusion protein from escherichia coli was investigated as an approach for the preparation of recombinant animal toxins. apamin, a bee venom neurotoxin, was used as the model toxin. it is reticulated by two disulfide bridges and interacts with small conductance ca(2+)-activated k+ channels. substantial amounts of free recombinant apamin were obtained by cnbr cleavage of the fusion protein [col-(1-171)-apa] and hplc pur ... | 1995 | 7649153 |
| a novel antibacterial peptide family isolated from the silkworm, bombyx mori. | three structurally related and novel antibacterial peptides have been isolated from the haemolymph of the silkworm, bombyx mori, immunized with escherichia coli. these peptides were 32 amino acids long and characteristically rich in proline residues. a unique threonine residue in each peptide was o-glycosylated and the modification seemed to be important for expression of antibacterial activity. the primary structure and antibacterial character of the novel peptides resemble those of abaecin (41 ... | 1995 | 7654207 |
| [change in erythrocyte volume and spectrum of membrane proteins induced by melittin, phospholipase a2 and bee venom]. | human erythrocytes and erythrocyte ghost membranes were treated with melittin (m), phospholipase a2 (pla2) and whole bee venom. treatment by whole bee venom or m + pla2 resulted in a significant decrease of the cell volume, cell spherulation and hemolysis. used separately, m produced an increase in the cell volume during hemolysis, while treatment with pla2 stimulated m-induced hemolysis without any effect on the cell shape or volume even at relatively high concentrations. combined action of m a ... | 1995 | 7662800 |
| reversal of toxicity using avidin-based hemoperfusion: a model system in rats using biotinylated melittin. | the high-affinity interaction between avidin and biotin (kd = 10(-15)m) can be exploited to develop specific protocols for retrieval of biotinylated drugs and toxicants from biological fluids. melittin, the main toxic component of bee venom, was biotinylated and used as a model toxicant to determine whether avidin-based extracorporeal hemoperfusion could remove biotinylated melittin and thus alter the severity of the toxic response in rats. melittin was biotinylated using n-hydroxysuccinimide-lo ... | 1995 | 7667392 |
| interleukin-12: potential role in cancer therapy. | il-12 is a heterodimeric cytokine that promotes cell-mediated immunity through its regulatory effects on t and nk cells. il-12 produced endogenously in response to various microbial agents likely plays a role in the host response to infection by intracellular pathogens, and administration of ril-12 to mice has bee shown to have dramatic therapeutic effects in a number of tumor models and models of infectious diseases. the relatively long serum half-life of il-12 compared to other lower molecular ... | 1995 | 7672811 |
| [sequelae of prolonged consumption of honey in excessive amounts]. | a case of a 46-year patient with honey poisoning is presented. it is worth mentioning that honey eaten for a long time may produce severe pathologies. honey in the south-eastern poland, where the patient lives, contains not only water, sugars such as sucrose, glucose and fructose, dextrins, and nitrogen compounds but also low levels of antibiotics and sulphonamides, used as prophylaxis against honey-bee diseases, heavy metals ions, and various bacteria. | 1994 | 7675708 |
| sphero-echinocytosis of human red blood cells caused by snake, red-back spider, bee and blue-ringed octopus venoms and its inhibition by snake sera. | it was found that bee (apis mellifera) venom, red-back spider (latrodectus mactans) venom, blue-ringed octopus (hapalochlaena maculosa) venom, ten different snake venoms, phospholipase a2 and four snake toxins caused sphero-echinocytosis of human red blood cells at 200 ng/ml. most venoms and toxins lost the ability to deform human red blood cells when their components of less than mol. wt 10,000 were applied. in a number of cases the sphero-echinocytotic effect was also inhibited by blood sera o ... | 1995 | 7676470 |
| inhibition of tumor promoter-mediated processes in mouse skin and bovine lens by caffeic acid phenethyl ester. | caffeic acid phenethyl ester (cape) was isolated from propolis (a product of honeybee hives) that has been used in folk medicine as a potent antiinflammatory agent. cape is cytotoxic to tumor and virally transformed but not to normal cells. our main goal was to establish whether cape inhibits the tumor promoter (12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate)-induced processes associated with carcinogenesis. topical treatment of sencar mice with very low doses (0.1-6.5 nmol/topical treatment) of cape stro ... | 1993 | 7680281 |
| monoclonal antibody epitope mapping of plasmodium falciparum rhoptry proteins. | plasmodium falciparum rhoptry proteins of the 140/130/110-kda high molecular weight complex (hmwc) are secreted into the erythrocyte membrane during merozoite invasion. epitopes of membrane-associated hmwc proteins can be detected using rhoptry-specific antibodies by immunofluorescence assays. phospholipase treatment of ring-infected intact human erythrocytes, membrane ghosts, and inside-out vesicles results in the release of the hmwc as demonstrated by immunoblotting. we characterized the membr ... | 1993 | 7682186 |