Bee venom promotes exosome secretion and alters miRNA cargo in T cells

Exosomes are important mediators of intercellular communication, primarily through the transfer of miRNAs. However, the mechanisms regulating exosome secretion and miRNA cargo loading in T cells remain incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of bee venom (BV), a natural compound with known immunomodulatory activity, on the exosomal miRNA profile in human Jurkat T cells. The non-cytotoxic concentration of BV (2 μg/mL) was identified using the CCK-8 assay. Exosomes were isolated from BV-treated and control cells and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Western blotting, and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), with NTA also used to quantify particle concentration for assessing changes in secretion levels. High-throughput sequencing identified 74 differentially expressed miRNAs (44 upregulated, 30 downregulated), which were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. Functional enrichment analyses (gene ontology, kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes, disease ontology, Reactome) revealed associations with pathways related to neural development, cell cycle regulation, and tumorigenesis. BV treatment significantly promoted exosome release and selectively altered miRNA cargo. These findings suggest that BV modulates T cell-derived exosome output and composition, providing mechanistic insights into how it may influence immune-related signaling pathways.