, 2011). Mastoparans present several biological activities such as degranulation of mast cells, release of histamine, activation of GTP-binding proteins, bactericidal potential and haemolytic activity (Čeřovský et al., 2008), besides being able to inhibit, in vitro, the transport of Golgi vesicles ( Weidman and Winter, 1994). Venoms of Neotropical vespids have polycationic peptides, such as polybines, which seem to be related with the occurrence of inflammation, including the initial process of the cell membrane lysis (Ribeiro et al., 2004). According to a study performed by Pembrolizumab de Paula et al. (2006),

the venom of P. paulista causes acute ERK inhibitor libraries inflammation, but according to Ferguson and Laing (2010), this event can lead to a series of adverse effects, including an increase in the rates of somatic mutation. Furthermore, during the inflammatory process there is the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are highly

reactive molecules and able to interact and cause damages in the genetic material of the cells ( Azad et al., 2008). At low concentrations, the venom of P. paulista is not able to induce, by itself, damages in the genetic material, but when a substance with genotoxic and mutagenic potential is administered together with the venom, the substances present in the venom (phospholipase, hyaluronidase and mastoparans) seem to help in the entrance of the aggressor agent, since they can disrupt the cell membrane and, consequently, allow the entrance of xenobiotics into the cell. Although several substances, such as Polybia-MPI present anti-tumour activity ( Wang et al., 2008 and Wang et al., 2009), caution is needed when administering substances derived from the venom of P. paulista in the treatment of cancer, since it was observed in this study that very low concentrations of the wasp venom do not present cytotoxic potential but can induce genotoxicity and mutagenicity. The authors would like to thank CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of

Higher Education Personnel) and the Covenant-REPLAN: 1100.0067969.11.4 for the Meloxicam financial support. “
“Every year, 2.5 million people are bitten by snakes in South America with approximately 100,000 deaths as a result. Administration of specific antivenoms has been the most efficient treatment for snake envenoming. The effectiveness of anti-bothropic horse antivenom for the neutralization of the toxic and pharmacological effects of Bothrops jararacussu venom has been investigated by many groups ( dos Santos et al., 1992, de Roodt et al., 1998, de Roodt et al., 1999, Oshima-Franco et al., 2001, Zamunér et al., 2004 and Beghini et al., 2007), yet an understanding of the mechanism has not been elucidated.