Inhibitory effects of bee venom on mast cell-mediated allergic inflammatory responses

Although bee venom (BV) is a toxin that causes bee stings to be painful, it has been widely used clinically for the treatment of certain immune-associated diseases. BV has been used traditionally for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. In this regard, the present study analyzed the effect of BV on the regulation of inflammatory mediator production by mast cells and their allergic inflammatory responses in an animal model. HMC-1 cells were treated with BV prior to stimulation with phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate plus calcium ionophore A23187 (PMACI). The production of allergy-associated pro-inflammatory mediators was examined, and the underlying mechanisms were investigated. Furthermore, to investigate whether BV exhibits anti-inflammatory effects associated with anti-allergic effects in vivo, a compound 48/80-induced anaphylaxis model was used. BV inhibited histamine release, mRNA expression and production of cytokines in the PMACI-stimulated HMC-1 cells. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of BV on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), MAPK kinase, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and Akt were demonstrated. The present study also investigated the ability of BV to inhibit compound 48/80-induced systemic anaphylaxis in vivo. BV protected the mice against compound 48/80-induced anaphylactic-associated mortality. Furthermore, BV suppressed the mRNA expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and suppressed the activation of MAPK and STAT3 in this model. These results provide novel insights into the possible role of BV as a modulator for mast cell-mediated allergic inflammatory disorders.