EFFECT OF PRETREATMENT WITH VENOM OF APIS-MELLIFERA BEES ON THE YIELDOF GAMMA-RAY INDUCED CHROMOSOME-ABERRATIONS IN HUMAN BLOOD-LYMPHOCYTES

Venom of the honey bee Apis mellifera induced a protective effect agai nst the induction of dicentric chromosomes by gamma radiation (2.0 Gy) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes which the cultures were treated with 0.00015 mul venom/1 ml medium 6 h before irradiation. In culture s to which the venom was added immediately before irradiation with 0.2 5, 1.0 and 2.0 Gy, no significant differences in number of dicentric c hromosomes induced was observed when compared to cultures submitted to irradiation only. The venom did not induce clastogenic effects nor di d it increase the frequency of sister chromatid exchanges.