scholarly journals Itch in Hymenoptera Sting Reactions

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urban Cerpes ◽  
Maria-Lisa Repelnig ◽  
Franz J. Legat

Insect stings and the resulting itch are a ubiquitous problem. Stings by members of the insect order Hymenoptera, which includes sawflies, wasps, bees and ants, and especially by bees and wasps are extremely common, with 56–94% of the population being stung at least once in their lifetime. The complex process of venom activity and inflammation causes local reactions with pain and pruritus, sometimes anaphylactic reactions and more seldomly, as in case of numerous stings, systemic intoxication. We reviewed the literature regarding itch experienced after Hymenoptera stings, but found no study that placed a specific focus on this topic. Hymenoptera venoms are composed of many biologically active substances, including peptide toxins and proteinaceous toxins. Peptide toxins from bee venom cause cell lysis and ion channel modulation in the peripheral and central nervous systems, while toxins from wasp venom induce mast cell degranulation and chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the skin. The proteinaceous toxins cause a disruption of the cell membranes and necrotic cell death, degradation of hyaluronan (an extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan), increased vascular permeability, hemolysis, as well as activated platelet aggregation. Mediators which could be directly involved in the venom-induced pruritus include histamine and tryptase released from mast cells, interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 from Th2 lymphocytes, as well as leukotriene C4. We postulate that a pruriceptive itch is induced due to the pharmacological properties of Hymenoptera venoms.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Alvarado ◽  
Samuel Cardoso-Arenas ◽  
Ligia-Luz Corrales-García ◽  
Herlinda Clement ◽  
Iván Arenas ◽  
...  

Spider venoms include various peptide toxins that modify the ion currents, mainly of excitable insect cells. Consequently, scientific research on spider venoms has revealed a broad range of peptide toxins with different pharmacological properties, even for mammal species. In this work, thirty animal venoms were screened against hKv1.5, a potential target for atrial fibrillation therapy. The whole venom of the spider Oculicosa supermirabilis, which is also insecticidal to house crickets, caused voltage-gated potassium ion channel modulation in hKv1.5. Therefore, a peptide from the spider O. supermirabilis venom, named Osu1, was identified through HPLC reverse-phase fractionation. Osu1 displayed similar biological properties as the whole venom; so, the primary sequence of Osu1 was elucidated by both of N-terminal degradation and endoproteolytic cleavage. Based on its primary structure, a gene that codifies for Osu1 was constructed de novo from protein to DNA by reverse translation. A recombinant Osu1 was expressed using a pQE30 vector inside the E. coli SHuffle expression system. recombinant Osu1 had voltage-gated potassium ion channel modulation of human hKv1.5, and it was also as insecticidal as the native toxin. Due to its novel primary structure, and hypothesized disulfide pairing motif, Osu1 may represent a new family of spider toxins.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 40-43
Author(s):  
N. K. Yuldasheva ◽  
S. D. Gusakova ◽  
D. Kh. Nurullaeva ◽  
N. T. Farmanova ◽  
R. P. Zakirova ◽  
...  

Introduction. Lipids are a widespread group of biologically active substances in nature, making up the bulk of the organic substances of all living organisms. They accumulate in plants in seeds, as well as in fruits and perform a number of vital functions: they are the main components of cell membranes and the energy reserve for the body.Aim. Study of neutral lipids of sown oats (Avena sativa L.).Materials and methods. The objects of the study were fruits (grains) of oats of the sown variety "Tashkent 1," harvested in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Results and discussions. Neutral lipids of oat grains have been found to contain 13 fatty acids with a predominance of the sum of oleic, linolenic and linoleic acids. The total degree of unsaturation was almost 78%. Absorption bands characteristic of these substances were observed in the IR spectrum of MEGC.Conclusion. According to the results of the NL analysis, oat grains consisted of triacylglycerides and free LCDs, which were accompanied by hydrocarbons, phytosterols, triterpenoids and tocopherols.


2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 49-68
Author(s):  
T. O. Kondratiuk ◽  
T. V. Beregova ◽  
I. Yu. Parnikoza ◽  
S. Y. Kondratyuk ◽  
A. Thell

The identification of the diversity of microscopic fungi of lithobiont communities of the Argentine Islands in specimens collected during the 22nd Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition was the purpose of this work. Samples of rock, soil, mosses and lichens of rock micro-habitats of “Crustose lichen sub-formation and fruticose lichen and moss cushion sub-formation” were used in the work. These samples were used for extracting and cultivation of filamentous fungi on dense nutrient media. Determination of physiological and biochemical characteristics and identification of yeast-like fungi were performed using a microbiological analyser ‘Vitek-2’ (‘Bio Merieux’, France). Cultivation of microorganisms was carried out at temperatures from +2 to +37 °C. In results cultures of microscopic fungi of Zygomycota (Mucor circinelloides), Ascomycota (species of the genera cf. Tlielebolus, Talaromyces), representatives of the Anamorphic fungi group (Geomyces pannorum, species of the genera Alternaria, Acremonium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Cladosporium) were isolated from Antarctic samples. Microscopic fungi Penicillium spp. were dominated after the frequency in the studied samples (54.5%). Rhodotorula rubra and Candida sp. among isolated yeast fungi, and dark pigmented fungi represented by Aureobasidium pulhdans and Exophiala spp. were identified. The biological properties of a number of isolated fungi (the potential ability to synthesise important biologically active substances: melanins, carotenoids, lipids) are characterised. Mycobiota of rock communities of Argentine Islands is rich on filamentous and yeast fungi similarly to other regions of Antarctica. A number of fungi investigated are potentially able to synthesise biologically active substances. The dark pigmented species of the genera Cladosporium, Exophiala, Aureobasidium pulhdans, capable of melanin synthesis; ‘red’ yeast Rhodotorula rubra (carotenoid producers and resistant to toxic metals); Mucor circinelloides and Geomyces pannorum, lipid producers, are among these fungi. Yeast-like fungi assimilated a wide range of carbohydrates, which will allow them to be further used for cultivation in laboratory and process conditions. The collection of technologically promising strains of microorganisms, part of the Culture Collection of Fungi at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine), is updated with isolated species (strains) of filamentous fungi and yeast – potential producers of biologically active substances, obtained within this study.


Author(s):  
Chernichkina A.D.

A large number of biologically active substances, organic acids, tannins, and pectin substances were detected during the study of fruits, leaves, and pulp of the fruits of mountain Ash. The content of these substances in leaves and pulp will significantly expand the arsenal of medicinal plant raw materials used. Given the wide distribution of mountain Ash in the territory of the Russian Federation, harvesting leaves from the same plants after harvesting the fruit and using pulp will make it possible to obtain new phytopreparations.


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