Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) (68-82), guinea pig, is a peptide with the sequence Tyr-Gly-Ser-Leu-Pro-Gln-Lys-Ser-Gln-Arg-Ser-Gln-Asp-Glu-Asn and represents a fragment of myelin basic protein (MBP).

Multiple sclerosis, the most common autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system, is studied by analyzing whole blood samples for the activation capacity of CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes using human total myelin basic protein (MBP), human MBP 104-118 fragment, and guinea pig MBP (68-82) fragment. A significant increase in activated T-lymphocytes was observed for all three tested MBPs (p<0.01), with the most prominent increase following human total MBP, followed by human 104-118 fragment, and the smallest increase with guinea pig MBP (68-82) (human total MBP>huMBP-104-118>guinea pig MBP (68-82))[1].

This study investigates the impact of preemptive bee venom acupuncture (BVA) treatment, starting from the day of myelin basic protein (MBP) (68-82) immunization, on the onset and progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and associated weight loss. After immunization, rats in the MBP group began showing early signs of EAE, such as partial loss of tail tone, within 5-9 days, progressing to more severe neurological symptoms, including various degrees of limb paralysis, between 10-16 days. In contrast, rats treated with BVA exhibited milder neurological impairments, with a dose-dependent reduction in symptom severity and delayed onset of symptoms (BVA 0.8 mg/kg, 6.4±0.6 days) observed 11-15 days post-immunization. Additionally, the maximum clinical score was significantly lower in the BVA-treated groups (BVA 0.25 mg/kg, 3.7±0.2; BVA 0.8 mg/kg, 2.8±0.3) compared to the untreated MBP group. Moreover, while the MBP group's mean body weight decreased, the MBP + BVA group's mean body weight significantly increased compared to the MBP-only group, highlighting a potential protective effect of BVA against EAE-induced weight loss and symptom severity.