Wasp Venom Possesses Potential Therapeutic Effect in Experimental Models of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. Wasp venom (WV), which is considered as a traditional folk medicine in Jingpo nationality in Yunnan, China, relieves rheumatoid arthritis. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of wasp venom ameliorating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in experimental rats. We established a model of type II collagen- (CII-) induced arthritis (CIA) in SD rats and examined the inhibition of inflammation and autoimmune response. The antiarthritic effects of WV were evaluated through the paw swelling, and histopathological score and histopathology changes of the affected paw were assessed. The anti-inflammation effects were assayed by the level of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and the number of inflammatory cells in peripheral blood. The alteration of the T cell subset ratio in the spleen of rats was detected by flow cytometry, and at the same time, the viscera index and immune serum globulin levels were evaluated. The results suggested that various doses of WV (0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mg/kg) significantly alleviated paw swelling and arthritis score in CIA rats with the untreated control (P<0.05). WV (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) relieved synovial tissue lesions of ankle joints and histopathology scores of synoviocyte hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration with vehicle group (P<0.05). Regarding immunological regulation, 0.5 mg/kg WV lowered the immune serum globulin levels (P<0.05), and we further found that WV (0.5 mg/kg) suppressed the immune response of Th cells, while enhancing the functions of Tc cells and Treg cells in spleen cells markedly (P<0.05). The immunosuppressive action of WV displayed was analogous to its inhibitory effect on IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6, COX-2, and PGE2 levels in rat serum. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that WV exhibited antiarthritic activity, which might be associated with their inhibitory effects on immunoregulation and anti-inflammatory action.

Wasp venom from Vespa magnifica acts as a neuroprotective agent to alleviate neuronal damage after stroke in rats

“…Doses of 0.05, 0.2 and 0.6 mg/kg were selected as evidenced by our previous study (Gao et al. 2020 ) and other reports (Kim et al. 2016 ; Badawi et al.…”

“…Our previous results showed that the wasp venom extracted from Vespa magnifica Smith (Vespidae) had a protective effect on rheumatoid arthritis in rats (Gao et al. 2020 ). Additionally, compounds extracted from the wasp venom have also been used to treat major neurological disorders, including epilepsy (Mortari et al.…”

Development an Inflammation-Related Factor-Based Model for Predicting Organ Failure in Acute Pancreatitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…For example, IL6 was the key accelerator in the final differentiation of B-cells into Ig-secreting cells, and IL8 had the function on neutrophil activation [ 17 ]. IL6 and IL8 could take part in a wide variety of inflammation-associated disease by inducing the inflammatory response, such as rheumatoid arthritis [ 18 ], ulcerative colitis [ 19 ], and acute pancreatitis [ 20 ]. In acute pancreatitis, the levels of these cytokines in peripheral blood were abnormally increased and significantly associated with the disease development.…”

Rhynchophorus palmarum (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Guarani-Kaiowá indigenous knowledge and pharmacological activities

“…Most of the drugs on the market are derived from plants [ 19 ]. However, the list of extracts and molecules isolated from animals is increasing [ 20 , 21 ]. RPLO is used by the Guarani-Kaiowá community and other indigenous communities for food [ 7 ] and medicinal purposes [ 6 ].…”