Jones R G, Corteling R L, Bhogal G, Landon J
Department of Chemical Pathology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1999 Sep;61(3):361-6. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1999.61.361.
The frequency of mass bee attacks has dramatically increased in the Americas following the introduction and spread of the aggressive Africanized 'killer' bee (Apis mellifera scutellata). As yet no specific therapy is available, which led us to develop an ovine Fab-based antivenom as a potential new treatment. Sera from sheep immunized against the venom contained high levels of specific antibodies, as demonstrated by ELISA and by small-scale affinity chromatography, against both whole (A. m. mellifera) venom and purified melittin. A nerve muscle preparation was used to show the myotoxic effects of the venom and neutralization by the antivenom. Antivenom neutralizing ability was also demonstrated using assays for venom phospholipase A2 and in vivo activities. Venom from both European and Africanized bees appeared identical when analyzed by acid-urea gel electrophoresis. This antivenom may therefore provide the first specific therapy for the treatment of mass envenomation by either European or Africanized 'killer' bees.
随着具有攻击性的非洲化“杀人”蜂（东非蜜蜂）的引入和传播，美洲大规模蜜蜂攻击事件的发生频率急剧上升。目前尚无特效疗法，这促使我们研发一种基于羊源Fab片段的抗蛇毒血清作为一种潜在的新治疗方法。通过ELISA和小规模亲和层析证明，用毒液免疫的绵羊血清含有高水平的特异性抗体，可针对全（意大利蜜蜂）毒液和纯化的蜂毒肽。使用神经肌肉制剂来显示毒液的肌毒性作用以及抗蛇毒血清的中和作用。还通过毒液磷脂酶A2测定和体内活性试验证明了抗蛇毒血清的中和能力。通过酸性尿素凝胶电泳分析，欧洲蜜蜂和非洲化蜜蜂的毒液看起来是相同的。因此，这种抗蛇毒血清可能为治疗欧洲或非洲化“杀人”蜂造成的大规模中毒提供首个特效疗法。
