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Hornet stings are medically important stings which can cause allergic manifestations and, in severe cases, may lead to the unusual complication of acute renal failure (ARF) and other systemic complications. ARF results from toxic or ischaemic acute tubular necrosis in a setting of haemolysis or rhabdomyolysis or both and acute allergic interstitial nephritis. Venom from hornet stings can also contribute to myocardial injury or liver impairment. Here, we report three cases of hornet stings leading to ARF. Case #1 and Case #3 recovered their renal function and body physiology after a 38-day and 15-day stay in the hospital, respectively, whereas Case #2 died. They were meticulously supported by haemodialysis along with the combination of various drug regimens.

It is high time now to discover novel drugs due to the increasing rate of drug resistance by the pathogen organisms and target cells as well as the dependence or tolerance of the body towards the drug. As it is obvious that significant numbers of the modern day pharmaceuticals are derived from natural products, it is equally astonishing to accept that venoms of various origins have therapeutic potentials. Wasp venoms are also a rich source of therapeutically important toxins which includes short cationic peptides, kinins, polyamines and polyDNA viruses, to name a few indentified. Wasp venom cationic peptides, namely mastoparan and its analogs, show a very important potency as an antimicrobial and anticancer agents of the future. They have proven to be the better candidates due to their lesser toxic effects and higher selectivity upon chemical modification and charge optimization. They also have superiority over the conventional chemical drugs as the target cells very rarely develop resistance against them because these peptides primarily imparts its effect through biophysical interaction with the target cell membrane which is dependent upon the net charge of the peptide, its hydrophobicity and anionicity and fluidity of the target cell membranes. Besides, the other components of wasp venom such as kinins, polyamines and polyDNA viruses show various pharmacological promise in the treatment of pain, inflammatory disease, and neurodegenerative diseases such as epilepsy and aversion.

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Hymenoptera stings are a health concern. Apidae (bees), Vespidae (hornets, yellow jackets and wasps) and Formicidae (ants) are medically-important stinging insects under the order Hymenoptera. Clinical features from simple skin manifestations to severe and fatal organ injury are due to the hypersensitivity reactions and/or the toxic effects of the venom inoculated. Here we discuss on Hymenoptera stings involving apids (honey bees) and vespids (wasps, hornets and yellow jackets) and their effect on renal function and associated morphological changes in the kidney. Despite the differences in venom composition and quantity released per sting in two insect groups, both lead to similar medical consequences, such as localised normal allergic reactions, mild to severe anaphylaxis and shock and multiple organ and tissue injury leading to multiple organ failure. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the unusual complications of Hymenoptera stings and has the basis of both immune-mediated and toxic effects. Evidence has proven that supportive therapy along with the standard medication is very efficient in completely restoring the kidney function without any recurrence.