本論文都是以化學方法合成含14個全左旋或全右旋胺基酸的蜂毒 peptide (Mastoparan M; INLKAIAALAKKLL-NH2)作實驗。這兩種合成的mastoparan M在圓二分光譜儀觀察下，於30%的三氟乙醇溶液中呈現出28%的α-螺旋構形；然而在磷酸緩衝液中，Mastoparan M僅有約10%的α-螺旋構形。
在體外MTT法的抗癌細胞試驗中，12.54 μg/ml 的mastoparan M可直接抑制38%口腔癌上皮細胞，63%鼻咽癌上皮細胞，43%肺癌細胞，59%直腸腺乳突癌細胞，54%子宮頸癌細胞的生長。相對於全左手旋mastoparan M，發現由全右旋胺基酸組成的mastoparanM之毒殺癌細胞株效能較高。在掃瞄式電子顯微鏡的觀察下，發現在添加mastoparan M至培養液後，癌細胞株外觀呈現萎縮、破洞和崩落的不完整外形。癌細胞株細胞外形巨大改變的現象，似乎說明mastoparan M對癌細胞株有抑制作用，可能是對癌細胞株直接的毒殺或溶解細胞所致。
在對抗細菌的作用中，mastopparan M可引起已標記胸腺嘧啶的細菌於１小時後使胸腺嘧啶釋出至上清液，並於４小時後完全釋放至上清液中，此現象顯示mastoparan M可造成細菌細胞的溶解。由 全左或全右旋胺基酸組成的mastoparan M均擁有高效能的殺菌活性。其中，全右旋mastoparan M的殺菌活性是全左旋分子的２倍。在掃瞄式電子的觀察下，含有mastoparan M的細菌培養液，葡萄球菌外觀呈現不規則凸起及破裂；而大腸桿菌的末端則出現明顯球狀隆凸及破碎後的凹陷。這現象似乎說明了mastoparan M的殺菌作用在於導致菌體不規則變形後破裂，以至內容物流出死亡。
而mastoparan M與免疫細胞的作用中，當mastoparan M與體外培養的老鼠脾臟巨噬細胞一起培養12小時後，可於該混合培養液中檢測到腫瘤壞死因子(Tumor Necrosis Factor-α)與第一介白質(Interlekin-1)的出現。且這些細胞間質將持續累積於培養液中。由mastoparan M誘發巨噬細胞所釋放的TNF-α，其mRNA亦可見於mastoparan M刺激後24小時的巨噬細胞中。而作為一氧化氮指標的二氧化氮，也在mastoparan M刺激巨噬細胞24小時後的培養液中累積到最高量。然而，mastoparan M刺激的巨噬細胞培養液中，二氧化氮的存在量卻在加入抗腫瘤壞死因子抗體(anti-mouse TNF-α Ab)後受到抑制，這說明了二氧化氮的誘發製造受到腫瘤壞死因子的調節。
另外，在注射mastoparan M至老鼠腹腔的體內試驗中，老鼠腹腔液中的腫瘤壞死因子(TNF-α)，第一介白質IL-1及二氧化氮的累積最高量時間，分別出現在注射mastoparan M至老鼠腹腔後90分鐘，120分鐘及180分鐘，而作為嗜中性球及吞噬細胞量存在指標的myeloperoxidase，也隨著mastoparan M注射至老鼠腹腔後增加。這結果說明了注射mastoparan M至老鼠腹腔後，可誘發大量的嗜中性球及吞噬細胞匯集至腹腔中。而匯集至腹腔中的巨噬細胞及嗜中性球將可釋放腫瘤壞死因子(TNF-α)及第一介白質(IL-1)，並伴隨著二氧化氮的生成。

Mastoparan M, a tetradecapeptide toxin (INLKAIAALAKKLL-NH2) from the hornet venom, and its D-antipot mastoparan M have been synthesized chemically in this experiment . Under circular dichroism investigation, all D- and L-mastoparan M adopted 28% α-helical structure in the 30% trifluroethanol solution but contained only 10% α-helical structure in the phosphate solution. After addition of mastoparan M to the cultures of tumor cell lines in vitro, D-mastoparan M(12.5 μg/ml) could directly inhibit the growth of tumor cell lines Colo 225 (59%), KB (38%), Hep-2 (63%), H226Br (43%) and HeLa (54%) determined by the MTT assay. We also found that the D-mastoparan M has a higher potency of antitumor cell activity in vitro than L-mastoparan M. Examination under the scanning-beam electron microscope (SEM), the hollow, shrunk, and collapsed structures of tumor cells can be seen after mixed with D-mastoparan M. The appearance of these morphological alterations indicated that the mastoparan M inhibited liability of tumor cells by lysis of target cells directly.
All-D mastoparan M could also cause 3H-thymidine releasing from the labeled bacterial population after mixing for 1 h and completed cell lysis by 4 h. We found that both L- and D- mastoparan M all showed strong activity against both the gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Especially, the all-D mastoparan M possesses the highest potency of antibacterial activity about two fold more potent than the L-mastoparan M. The effects of all-D mastoparan M on the surface morphology of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213) and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) were studied by the scanning-beam electron microscope (SEM). We found that small "bleb" extrusions on the surface of some S. aureus and "swelling" on the end site of E. coli after cultured with all-D mastoparan M. This finding indicated the all-D mastoparan M could kill bacteria by disrupting cells directly.
Besides lytic tumor cells and bacteria, mastoparan M could also stimulate immune response. After addition of mastoparan M to the culture of mouse macrophage in vitro, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-Iβ) were detectable in the culture fluids after 12 h and the highest accumulation were observed at 24 h. Mastoparan M induced an increase in TNF-α secretion and in mRNA level at the same time. The nitrite level, reflecting the nitric oxide synthesis, was also accumulated in the culture of macrophages at 24 h post-mastoparan M addition. In vivo studies showed that mastoparan M induced the formation of TNF-α, IL-1β, and nitrite in the peritoneal exudates of mouse much faster at 90 min, 120 min, and 180 min post-mastoparan M injection respectively. Similarly, significant increases in activity to a high level of myeloperoxidase, a marker for neutrophil and macrophage content, were observed among the peritoneal lavage cells after intraperitoneal injection of mastoparan M. However, induction of nitrite by mastoparan M was completely inhibited by simultaneous addition of anti-mouse TNF-α antibody to the cultures of macrophage. These results suggest that modulation of both neutrophils and macrophages influx by mastoparan M was conveyed through TNF-α and IL-1β secretion accompanied with nitrite formation.