Abstract
Bee Venom (BV) has long been used in Korea to relieve pain symptoms and to treat inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. The underlying mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions of BV have been proved to some extent. Additionally, recent clinical and experimental studies have demonstrated that BV and BV-derived active components are applicable to a wide range of immunological and neurodegenerative diseases, including autoimmune diseases and Parkinson’s disease. These effects of BV are known to be mediated by modulating immune cells in the periphery, and glial cells and neurons in the central nervous system. This review will introduce the scientific evidence of the therapeutic effects of BV and its components on several immunological and neurological diseases, and describe their detailed mechanisms involved in regulating various immune responses and pathological changes in glia and neurons.
Highlights
Bee Venom (BV) therapy is a form of medicine originated from the ancient Greece and China.Several scientific reports suggesting the anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory effects of BV have been published for a hundred years [1,2]
We previously examined the effects of BV on the nitric oxide (NO) generation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in RAW264.7 macrophages, and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase
We found that BV decreased the expression of various genes, including mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 8 (MAP3K8), TNF, suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), TNF-receptor-associated factor 1 (TRAF1), JUN, and CREB binding protein (CBP), related to the inflammatory effects, which occur in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells [28]
Summary
Bee Venom (BV) therapy is a form of medicine originated from the ancient Greece and China. In Korea, BV has long been used to relieve pain and to treat various diseases, such as arthritis, rheumatism, herniation nucleus pulpous, cancer, asthma, and skin diseases [3,4,5]. It is administered systemically or in the form of chemical stimulation of acupoints, so called “BV acupuncture” or “apipuncture”. The therapeutic effects and mechanisms of BV-derived active components, especially focusing on PLA2, melittin and apamin will be introduced. We will comment on the future perspectives in the research area of BV therapy
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