| Summary: | Verapamil is a calcium channel blocker that has been widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular abnormalities, hypertension and angina pectoris. The present study investigates the effect of bee venom against verapamil embryotoxicity, bee venom (BV) is characterized with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatoid, pain-relieving and neuroprotective agents. The current study was carried out on 70 pregnant female mice which were divided into two main groups, the first main group divided into three subgroups, control, treated with single and twice dose daily of verapamil (40 mg/kg) that was treated from zero day of gestation to scarification of females at E10. The second main group that was treated from the seventh day of gestation was divided into four subgroups, control, treated with single dose daily of verapamil (40 mg/kg), injected with bee venom (150 μg/kg/BW) and treated with verapamil combined with bee venom, the females were sacrificed at E14 and E17. The results of this study showed that verapamil treated groups once or twice daily in the first main experiment showed abortion and resorption of uteri embryos. In the second main experiment, developing liver and kidney at E14 and E17 in verapamil treated group showed abnormal architecture of histological picture and alterations of immunohistochemical expression of heat shock protein and BAK that were associated with ultrastructure abnormalities at E17. Bee venom treated group showed the similar structure as control, verapamil combined with bee venom treated group exhibited amelioration against verapamil embryotoxicity. In conclusion, bee venom could be considered as a therapeutic agent and it has a curative effect against the toxicity of verapamil during development of liver and kidney.
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