Evaluation of the antiviral effect of bee venom on rabies virus

Eiaka, A.M.; El-Bagoury, G.F. El-Nahas, E.M. and Khodeir, M.H.

Abstract

It is an interesting thing to known the effect of natural matter as bee venom as antiviral agent and to any extent it could be used in case of experimental rabies infection. In vitro study revealed that different concentrations of bee venom (started from the original concentration “1mg/ml” up to 1:1000) did not show any cell growth retarders or cellular changes showing normal growth rate and normal cell shape. 1mg/ml and 100µgm/ml of bee venom were able to inhibit the replication of 100 TCID50 of rabies virus (ERA strain) in using baby hamster kidney BHK cells while 10 and 1µgm/ml were negative. In vivo study showed that mice received rabies immune globulin and BV were able to withstand the rabis infection when the they were administrated on the o, 1st, 2nd and 3rd day post infection showing protection rate of 90 and 80% respectively but those mice received the treatment on the following days did not survive the infection and showed paralysis of the hind limbs by the 4th day and died by the 6-7th day post infection. It could be concluded that bee venom could be used in case of rabies infection when administrated on the suitable time post exposure.

Key words

Antiviral, Bee Venom, Rabies Virus