Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: Venom composition and pain-causing toxins of the Australian great carpenter bee Xylocopa aruana

doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-26867-8

Figure Lengend Snippet: Pain-causing effects of X. aruana venom components. ( a,b ) Application of XYTX 1 -Xa1a (10 μM) to DRG cells produced an immediate and sustained, non-cell-specific increase in [Ca 2+ ] i . ( c ) Potency of XYTX 1 -Xa1a and melittin in F11 cells, as monitored by changes in [Ca 2+ ] i . ( d–f ) The increase in [Ca 2+ ] i caused by XYTX 1 -Xa1a was potentiated by the presence of venom PLA 2 (1 µM), but not XYTX 2 -Xa2a (1 μM). ** P < 0.01 (unpaired t -test). ( g,h ) Shallow intraplantar injection of XYTX 1 -Xa1a (200 pmol) caused spontaneous pain behaviours in mice which was potentiated by co-injection of venom PLA 2 (20 pmol), but not XYTX 2 -Xa2a (20 pmol). XYTX 2 -Xa2a (20 pmol) alone does not cause spontaneous pain behaviours while venom PLA 2 does (20 pmol). Data are expressed as mean ± SEM ( n = 3–6). ( i ) Co-injection of XYTX 1 -Xa1a (200 pmol) plus venom PLA 2 (20 pmol) caused paw swelling. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM ( n = 3–6). * P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01; **** P < 0.0001 (one way-ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons).

Article Snippet: F11 (mouse neuroblastoma \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\times $$\end{document} × DRG neuron hybrid; European Collection of Authenticated Cell Cultures) were cultured as previously described .

Techniques: Produced, Injection

Journal: The FASEB Journal

Article Title: MRGPRX2 Mediates Mast Cell‐Induced Endometriosis Pain Through the Sensitization of Sensory Neurons via Histamine/ HRH1 / TRPV1 Signaling Pathway

doi: 10.1096/fj.202501493R

Figure Lengend Snippet: Histamine sensitized TRPV1 through HRH1 activation in endometriosis. (A) The expression of histamine receptors, including HRH1, HRH2, HRH3, and HRH4, in F11 cells was determined by PCR using agarose gel electrophoresis. (B) Changes in HRH1 gene expression in F11 cells after treatment with 10 −7 mM histamine for 24 h, as measured by RT–qPCR. (C) Changes in HRH1 protein expression in F11 cells after treatment with 10 −7 mM histamine for 24 h, as detected by western blotting. (D) IHC images showing HRH1 expression in DRG tissue from sham ( n = 8) and EMS mice ( n = 7); 200×, scale bar = 100 μm. The boxed region in the merged images is enlarged in the images on the right (original magnification 400×, bar = 100 μm). (E) IHC scores of the above two groups. (F) Images of IF staining for HRH1 (red), CGRP (green), and cell nuclei (DAPI, blue) in paraffin sections of endometriotic lesions; 400×, scale bar = 100 μm. (G) Fluo‐4 fluorescence intensity of F11 cells from the control, histamine, and histamine+DLT groups. (H) Increase in the Ca 2+ peak (DF/F0) in F11 cells from the control, histamine, and histamine+DLT groups ( n = 3 in each group). Control (B, C, G, and H), F11 cells pretreated with the vehicle control; EMS, mice with endometriosis surgery; His, F11 cells pretreated with histamine (10 −7 mM); histamine, F11 cells pretreated with histamine (10 −7 mM) overnight; histamine + DLT, F11 cells pretreated with histamine (10 −7 mM) and desloratadine (1 μM) overnight; Sham, mice with the sham operation. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, **** p < 0.0001, and ns, not significant.

Article Snippet: The DRG cell line (F11) was obtained from the European Collection of Authenticated Cell Cultures (Porton Down, Salisbury, UK).

Techniques: Activation Assay, Expressing, Agarose Gel Electrophoresis, Gene Expression, Quantitative RT-PCR, Western Blot, Staining, Fluorescence, Control