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Science 313 (5786): 526-530

Copyright © 2006 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Mast Cells Can Enhance Resistance to Snake and Honeybee Venoms

Martin Metz,1 Adrian M. Piliponsky,1 Ching-Cheng Chen,1 Verena Lammel,1 Magnus Åbrink,2 Gunnar Pejler,2 Mindy Tsai,1 Stephen J. Galli1*

Abstract: Snake or honeybee envenomation can cause substantial morbidity and mortality, and it has been proposed that the activation of mast cells by snake or insect venoms can contribute to these effects. We show, in contrast, that mast cells can significantly reduce snake-venom–induced pathology in mice, at least in part by releasing carboxypeptidase A and possibly other proteases, which can degrade venom components. Mast cells also significantly reduced the morbidity and mortality induced by honeybee venom. These findings identify a new biological function for mast cells in enhancing resistance to the morbidity and mortality induced by animal venoms.

1 Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305–5324, USA.
2 Department of Molecular Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The Biomedical Center, Box 575, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: sgalli{at}stanford.edu

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