The Protective Effects of Melittin on Propionibacterium acnes –Induced Inflammatory Responses In Vitro and In Vivo

Abstract

Melittin is the main component in the venom of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). It has multiple effects including antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory activities in various cell types. However, the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of melittin have not been elucidated in Propionibactierium acnes (P. acnes)-induced keratinocyte or inflammatory skin disease animal models. In this study, we examined the effects of melittin on the production of inflammatory cytokines in heat-killed P. acnes-induced HaCaT cells. Heat-killed P. acnes-treated keratinocytes increased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and Toll-like receptor 2. However, melittin treatment significantly suppressed the expression of these cytokines through regulation of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Subsequently, the living P. acnes (1 × 10(7) CFU) were intradermally injected into the ear of mice. Living P. acnes-injected ears showed cutaneous erythema, swelling, and granulomatous response at 24 hours after injection. However, melittin-treated ears showed markedly reduced swelling and granulomatous responses compared with ears injected with only living P. acnes. These results demonstrate the feasibility of applying melittin for the prevention of inflammatory skin diseases induced by P. acnes.

Activity-Guided Purification Identifies Lupeol, a Pentacyclic Triterpene, As a Therapeutic Agent Multiple Pathogenic Factors of Acne

“…We found that lupeol alleviated the inflammatory response in well-established in vitro models of inflammatory acne by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway (Lee et al, 2014).…”

Novel chimeric peptide with enhanced cell specificity and anti-inflammatory activity

“…Melittin, from the European honeybee venom (Apis mellifera), is cytotoxic peptide with 26 amino acids and possesses a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity [29,30]. Although its cytotoxicity and allergenicity are high, a number of studies have examined potential applications in therapeutic and biotechnological fields, focusing on bacterial infections [31], rheumatoid arthritis [32], arteriosclerosis [33], immunologic adjuvants [32], cancer [34], and endosomolytic material in drug delivery systems [35,36]. The substitution and deletion of amino acids are general methods to reduce the cytotoxic effect, but it is sometimes limited due to the length and structure of the peptide.…”

Anti-inflammatory Effects of Chitosan-phytochemical Conjugates against Propionibacterium acnes-induced Inflammation

“…, P. acnes , , 2 (Eom et al, 2016;Kim et al, 2016;Nam et al, 2003;Tan, 2003). , (Eom et al, 2016;Lee et al, 2014a , (Kim et al, 2009;Lee et al, 2014b;Poquet et al, 2008).…”