Effect of venom from the Asian honeybee (Apis cerana Fab.) on LPS-induced nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-α production in RAW 264.7 cell line

To explain the composition of Asian honeybee (Apis cerana) venom (ABV) and the anti-inflammatory effect of ABV. The major components of ABV by LC chromatography and SDS-PAGE were identified. We demonstrated that the component of ABV and Western honeybee (A. melifera) venom is similar in its composition but the melittin and apamin content of ABV is lower content than that of A. melifera. The production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was examined by lipopolysaccharide (LIPS) in a macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7 cells, with ABV. The effects of ABV on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and TNF-alpha were investigated by western blot and RT-PCR in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7. ABV suppressed the NO, iNOS and TNF-a production, and decreased the levels of iNOS and TNF-alpha mRNA. These results suggest that ABV has an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting iNOS and TNF-alpha expression. Therefore, ABV may be useful for inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokine and NO production in immune cell-mediated inflammatory diseases. Further studies on the pharmacological aspects of the individual components of ABV are recommended for future trials.