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Therapeutic Effect of Bee Venom and Melittin on Skin Infection Caused by Streptococcus pyogenes

Seongjae Bae1, Hyemin Gu1, Mi-Gyeong Gwon1

  • 1Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan 42472, Korea.

Toxins
|October 26, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Bee venom and melittin effectively reduced inflammation and improved skin lesions caused by Streptococcus pyogenes infection in mice. These natural compounds show potential as novel treatments for bacterial skin infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Dermatology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • * *Streptococcus pyogenes* (*S. pyogenes*) is a primary cause of human skin infections.
  • * Bee venom (BV) and melittin (Mel) exhibit known antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To evaluate the therapeutic effects of BV and Mel on *S. pyogenes*-induced mouse skin infection.
  • * To assess the impact of BV and Mel on skin lesion severity and inflammatory markers.

Main Methods:

  • * *S. pyogenes* was topically applied to tape-stripped mouse dorsal skin.
  • * Lesions were treated with either BV or Mel.
  • * Histological analysis (hematoxylin and eosin) and immunohistochemistry (anti-neutrophil) were performed.

Main Results:

  • * *S. pyogenes* infection increased epidermal and dermal thickness, which was reduced by BV and Mel treatments.
  • * Neutrophil infiltration was elevated in infected skin but decreased in BV and Mel treated groups.
  • * BV and Mel treatments mitigated inflammatory responses in the infected skin.

Conclusions:

  • * Bee venom and melittin demonstrate significant potential in reducing inflammation and improving lesions associated with *S. pyogenes* skin infections.
  • * BV and Mel could serve as promising candidates for developing alternative therapeutic strategies against streptococcal skin infections.
Keywords:
Streptococcus pyogenesbee venommelittinskin infection

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