Effect Of Wasp Venom From Vespa Mandarinia Smith On The Proliferation And Apoptosis Of Mh7a Cells

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by synovial hyperplasia and inflammation, and fibroblast-like synoviocytes play an important role in cell over-proliferation and inflammation. Wasp venom is a folk medicine that is widely used to treat RA among the Jingpo minority in China's Yunnan province. However, how does it treat RA have not been reported. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of wasp venom from Vespa mandarinia Smith on the proliferation and apoptosis of MH7A human RA synovial fibroblasts in vitro. MH7A cells were incubated with different concentrations (0, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mu g/mL) of wasp venom. Then, the viability of MH7A cells was assessed using a real-time unlabeled cell analyzer (RTCA) and by annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) double labeling. The expression of caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) was determined by qRT-PCR and Western blotting after the wasp venom treatments. Results showed that wasp venom dramatically inhibited the viability of MH7A cells and induced MH7A synovial cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The expression of caspase-3 and Bax increased and that of Bcl-2 decreased in the wasp venom-treated group compared with that observed in the control group. Regarding mRNA levels consistent with the protein level results. In conclusion, wasp venom may induce MH7A cell apoptosis through caspase signaling pathways.