title: Effects of bee venom on the maturation of murine dendritic cells stimulated by LPS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to elicit the effectiveness of bee venom (BV), a traditional immunosuppressive Korean acupuncture agent, on the maturation of dendrtic cells (DCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Immature dendritic cells (iDCs) were generated from mouse bone marrow cells with GM-CSF. After 10 days of initial differentiation, DCs were activated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) for another 48h in the presence or absence of BV. Surface molecule analysis, intracytoplasmic staining of cytokines, FITC-conjugated antigen uptake, and transwell migration assays were conducted with iDCs and activated DCs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Up-regulation of costimulatory molecules, typical of mature DCs (mDCs) was inhibited by addition of BV. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were also found to be reduced with BV treatment in LPS-stimulated DC. A decrease in antigen uptake upon the maturation of DC was reversed in low dose BV treated mDC. In addition, BV treated mDC demonstrated reduced directional migration in response to CCL21, a lymphoid chemokine which directs mDC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BV may have a therapeutic effect an on abnormally activated immune status, such as autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis, through an immune-modulatory effect on DC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Han-Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seok-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Mi-Yeon
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Sung-Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun-Dae
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Woo-Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Ae-Ri
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jong-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D054421:Chemokine CCL21 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D001514:Bee Venoms; D054421:Chemokine CCL21; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor