Effects of bee venom on the maturation of murine dendritic cells stimulated by LPS.
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.
Lee
Han-Sung
HS
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Chung
Seok-Hee
SH
Song
Mi-Yeon
MY
Kim
Sung-Soo
SS
Shin
Hyun-Dae
HD
Shim
Woo-Jin
WJ
Han
Ae-Ri
AR
Lee
Jong-Soo
JS
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
D015703:Antigens, CD; D001514:Bee Venoms; D054421:Chemokine CCL21; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor