Apamin

Apamin (Apamine) is an 18 amino acid peptide neurotoxin found in apitoxin (bee venom), is known as a specifically selective blocker of Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ (SK) channels and exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activity^[1]. IC50 & Target:K⁺ channel^[1] In Vitro: Apamin (0.5-2 µg/mL; 24 hours; HSC-T6 cells) treatment markedly reduces the expression of α-SMA in the TGF-β1-induced HSC-T6 cells. Apamin treatment abrogats the activation of p-Smad2/3 and Smad4 induced by TGF-β1^[1]. In Vivo: Apamin (0.1 mg/kg; intraperitoneal injection; twice a week; for 4 weeks; C57BL/6 male mice) treatment results in decreased liver injury and proinflammatory cytokine levels. Apamin suppresses the deposition of collagen, proliferation of BECs and expression of fibrogenic genes in the 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC)-fed mice^[1].