Journal of Pharmacopuncture (Jul 2000)

The Analgesic Effects of Apitoxin and its Mechanism via JOR and Measuring Expression of mRNA in Phospholipase and TPH using RT-PCR

  • Cho Kwang Ho ,
  • Lee Jae-Dong ,
  • Park Dong-Suk ,
  • Ahn Byoung-Chou

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3831/kpi.2000.3.1.035
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 1
pp. 35 – 51

Abstract

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The purpose of this study is to prove the analgesic effects of apitoxin and its mechanism via jaw-opening reflex(JOR) and measuring expression of mRNA in Phospholipase and Tryptophan hydroxylase(TPH) using RT-PCR. The experiments were carried out on Sprague-Dawley rats(300-400g) and mastocytoma (P-185 HTR) for JOR and RT-PCR, respectively. Rats anesthetized with thiopental sodium (80mg/kg) were used in the Tooth Pulp stimulation induced JOR. The amplitude of a digastric electromyogram (dEMG) was recorded during the stimulation at an intensity of 1.5 times the threshold for JOR. Apitoxin used in this experiment was diluted with normal saline by 1:1000. Apitoxin was injected intravenously into the test group while normal saline to the control group. However, it was injected directly into the cell of mastocytoma. We referred to base sequence registered in Genbank in designing primers for RT-PCR. The results were as follows; (1)Compared with control group, analgesic effect started to show right after Sprague-Dawely rats were treated with apitoxin(71.50±8.08) and lasted for 50 minutes. (2)As a result of the experiment of RT-PCR, we witnessed significant changes in the degree of expression of phospholipase or rate-limiting enzyme in biosynthesis of prostaglandins with 10μg/㎖ apitoxin.(31.74±18.98%, P<0.05) (3)As a result of the experiment of RT-PCR, we witnessed significant changes in the degree of expression of TPH or rate-limiting enzyme in biosynthesis of serotonin with 10μg/㎖ apitoxin.(131.37±16.87%, P<0.05). These results suggest that 10μg/㎖ apitoxin have the most analgesic effects. This study showed that apitoxin has analgesic effects and held good for 50 minutes. The injection of apitoxin has brought out changes in the degree of expression of phospholipase and TPH. These results strongly suggest that analgesic mechanism by apitoxin is closely related to prostaglandins and serotonin.

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