• 약학회지
• /
• 제56권4호
• /
• pp.254-259
• /
• 2012

To further access honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) venom (BV) as a cosmetic ingredient and potential external treatment for topical use, we investigated its ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity and melanin biosynthesis on melanogenesis in B16F1 melanoma cells. We found that BV increased the cell viability in B16F1 melanoma cell and BV (0.01~1 ${\mu}g/ml$) inhibited melanin synthesis in with 10 nM ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH) for 48 h. In addition, we used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting for me melanogenesis-related genes such as tyrosinase to examine the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of BV on melanogensis. BV inhibited direct tyrosinase activity, which decreased melanin synthesis in ${\alpha}$-MSH stimulated B16F1 melanoma cells. Thease findings suggest that BV induces the downregulation of melanogenesis by inhibiting tyrosinase activation.

• 대한약침학회지
• /
• 제13권4호
• /
• pp.5-41
• /
• 2010

Objectives: This study was performed to analyse four week repeated dose toxicity of Sweet Bee Venom(Sweet BV) extracted from the bee venom in Beagle dogs. Methods: All experiments were conducted under the regulations of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) at Biotoxtech Company, a non-clinical study authorized institution. Male and female Beagle dogs of 5-6 months old were chosen for the pilot study of four week repeated dose toxicity of Sweet BV which was administered at the level of 0.56mg/kg body weight which is eighty times higher than the clinical application dosage as the high dosage, followed by 0.28 and 0.14mg/kg as midium and low dosage, respectively. Equal amount of excipient(normal saline) to the Sweet BV experiment groups was administered as the control group every day for four weeks. Results: 1. No mortality was witnessed in all of the experiment groups. 2. All experiment groups were appealed pain sense in the treating time compared to the control group, and hyperemia and movement disorder were observed around the area of administration in all experiment groups, and higher occurrence in the higher dosage treatment. 3. For weight measurement, Neither male nor female groups showed significant changes. 4. In the urine analysis, CBC and biochemistry didn't show any significant changes in the experiment groups compared with control group. 5. For weight measurement of organs, experiment groups didn't show any significant changes compared with control group. 6. To verify abnormalities of organs and tissues, thigh muscle which treated with Sweet BV, cerebrum, liver, lung, kidney, and spinal cords were removed and conducted histologocal observation with H-E staining. In the histologocal observation of thigh muscle, cell infiltration, inflammatory, degeneration, necrosis of muscle fiber, and fibrosis were found in both thigh tissue. And the changes were depend on the dose of Sweet BV. But another organs were not detected in any abnormalities. 7. The proper high dosage of Sweet BV for the thirteen week repeated test in Beagle dogs may be 0.28mg/kg in one time. Conclusion: Above findings suggest that Sweet BV is relatively safe treatment medium. Further studies on the subject should be conducted to yield more concrete evidences.

• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 대한약학회 2003년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.2-2
• /
• pp.93.1-93.1
• /
• 2003

Bee Venom (BV) has been treated in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Bee venom contains several biologically active non-peptide substances as well as two major known peptides; the hemolytic peptide melittin (50%) and the neurotoxic peptide apamin, and a number of minor peptides. Previous our study showed that BV blocked LPS and SNP-induced production of NO and PG through inactivation of NF-kB which regulates expression of COX-2 and iNOS. (omitted)

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• 제27권10호
• /
• pp.1827-1836
• /
• 2017

The world dairy industry has long been challenged by bovine mastitis, an inflammatory disease, which causes economic loss due to decreased milk production and quality. Attempts have been made to prevent or treat this disease with multiple approaches, primarily through increased abuse of antibiotics, but effective natural solutions remain elusive. Bee venom (BV) contains a variety of peptides (e.g., melittin) and shows multiple bioactivities, including prevention of inflammation. Thus, in the current study, it was hypothesized that BV can reduce inflammation in bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T). To examine the hypothesis, cells were treated with LPS ($1{\mu}g/ml$) to induce an inflammatory response and the anti-inflammatory effects of BV (2.5 and $5{\mu}g/ml$) were investigated. The cellular mechanisms of BV against LPS-induced inflammation were also investigated. Results showed that BV can attenuate expression of an inflammatory protein, COX2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$. Activation of NF-${\kappa}B$, an inflammatory transcription factor, was significantly downregulated by BV in cells treated with LPS, through dephosphorylation of ERK1/2. Moreover, pretreatment of cells with BV attenuated LPS-induced production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (e.g., superoxide anion). These results support our hypothesis that BV can decrease LPS-induced inflammatory responses in bovine mammary epithelial cells through inhibition of oxidative stress, NF-${\kappa}B$, ERK1/2, and COX-2 signaling.

• 생약학회지
• /
• 제42권4호
• /
• pp.366-370
• /
• 2011

Bee venom (BV) has been used as a treatment for a wide variety of ailments such as inflammatory diseases in korean traditional medicine. Despite its well documented anti-inflammatory property, it has not been fully demonstrated regarding the influence of BV against Propionibactierium acnes (P. acnes), which promotes follicular inflammation (inflammatory acne). This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory property of BV against P. acnes in vivo. To induce inflammation in vivo using P. acnes, $1{\times}10^7$ CFU of living P. acnes were intradermally injected into the ear of mice. BV (1, 10, 100 ${\mu}g$) in vaseline was applied epicutaneously on the ear resulting in P. acnes-induced ear swelling and inflammation. Epicutaneous administration of BV with P. acnes decreased the number of infiltrated inflammatory cells and inflammatory cytokines in the ear, thereby relieving P. acnes-induced ear swelling and granulomatous inflammation, especially at the dose of 1 ${\mu}g$ of BV. In this report, we demonstrated the therapeutic effects of BV on P. acnes-induced inflammation in vivo using the mouse model. These data highlight the potential of using BV as an alternative treatment to the antibiotic therapy of acne vulgaris.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• 제34권1호
• /
• pp.1-9
• /
• 2017

Objectives : We investigated the synergistic effects of bee venom (BV) and natural killer (NK) cells on B16F10 melanoma cell apoptosis mediated by IL-4. Methods : We performed a cell viability assay to determine whether BV can enhance the inhibitory effect of NK-92MI cells on the growth of B16F10 melanoma cells, and western blot analysis to detect changes in the expression of IL-4, $IL-4R{\alpha}$, and other apoptosis-related proteins. EMSA was performed to observe the activity of STAT6. To confirm that the inhibitory effect of BV and NK cells was mediated by IL-4, the above tests were repeated after IL-4 silencing by siRNA (50 nM). Results : B16F10 melanoma cells co-cultured with NK-92MI cells and simultaneously treated by BV ($5{\mu}g/ml$) showed a higher degree of proliferation inhibition than when treated by BV ($5{\mu}g/ml$) alone or co-cultured with NK-92MI cells alone. Expression of IL-4, $IL-4R{\alpha}$, and that of other pro-apoptotic proteins was also enhanced after co-culture with NK-92MI cells and simultaneous treatment with BV ($5{\mu}g/ml$). Furthermore, the expression of anti-apoptotic bcl-2 decreased, and the activity of STAT6, as well as the expression of STAT6 and p-STAT6 were enhanced. IL-4 silencing siRNA (50 nM) in B16F10 cells, the effects of BV treatment and NK-92MI co-culture were reversed. Conclusion : These results suggest that BV could be an effective alternative therapy for malignant melanoma by enhancing the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of NK cells through an IL-4-mediated pathway.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
• /
• 제29권2호
• /
• pp.113-120
• /
• 2016

Objectives: This study aims to report the effects of Korean medicine treatment by pattern identification and Sweet Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture on Chronic Relapsing Cystitis Methods: The patients was treated with Korean medicine by pattern identification and Sweet Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture at Qugu (CV2), Guanyuan (CV4). We evaluated treatment effects by changes of symptoms and urine analysis (UA) finding. Results: After treatments, the clinical symptoms such as painful urination, dysuria, frequent urination were improved and the state of urinalysis was improved. Conclusions: This clinical study suggests that Korean medicine treatment by pattern identification and Sweet Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture are significantly effective in treatment of a Chronic Relapsing Cystitis

• 대한약침학회지
• /
• 제4권3호
• /
• pp.7-14
• /
• 2001

Objective: This study was done to observe the effects on the thermal changes and side effects of Bee Venom acupuncture. The objectives are as follows; If there are remarkable local thermal changes between pre and post Bee Venom acupuncture therapy on D.I.T.I. or not. If there are those, we examine how long it' s changes are maintained, what is the adequate interval on Bee Venom acupuncture therapy, and what the reactions in a local or whole body are on that therapy. Methods: To study the local thermal changes in Bee Venom acupuncture therapy, D.I.T.I. was used. Determination of this analysis periods are pre and post-therapy(5 minutes, 1 hour, 1day,2days, 3days, 5days and 7days later). The study group was divided into two groups. One was BV group(N=19), another was NS(Normal Saline) group. The Bee Venom acupuncture was injected by 0.2ml divided into 0.05ml at the Fengmen(風門:12), Feishu(肺兪:B13), Fufen(附分:B41), Pohu(魄戶: B42) 4 points. Then, in order to analyze the clinical form, we have observed responses of 23 students whenever we checked the thermal changes of their after performing. Results: The following results were obtained. 1. In BV group, there was a significant dermatothermal difference between pre and post therapy. That difference was most remarkable in post-therapy 1 hour to lday, and was not remarkable in post-therapy 5-7days later. 2. There was no significant dermatothermal changes at NS group, but BV group had remarkable changes between operated and non operated area in post-therapy 1hour, 1day, 2days. But there was none 7 days later. 3. Among the physical reactions after Bee Venom acupuncture therapy, operated-area pain, itching, pain on moving and fatigue sign most appeared until post-therapy 3days. Itching and fatigue sign appeared until post-therapy 7days. 4. In comparison the dermatothermal changes with the physical reactions, the decrease of { CT = (Rt Temperature -Lt. Temperature) / Rt. $Temperature{\times}100$} and the disappearance of physical reactions were about the same.

• 동의생리병리학회지
• /
• 제25권1호
• /
• pp.132-137
• /
• 2011

Bee venom acupuncture (BVA), as a kind of herbal acupuncture, involved injecting diluted bee venom into acupoints and is used for pain, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients. BVA is growing in popularity, especially in Korea, and is used primarily for pain relief in many kinds of diseases. However, the effect of bee venom anti-inflammatory related action in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced chondrocyte stress have not been reported yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bee venom of cell viability and inflammatory cytokine in rat articular chondrocyte cultures stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Inflammation was induced in rat chondrocytes by treatment with $10{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ LPS. The change of cell viability were decreased in chondrocytes after treatment with lipopolysaccharide. The cell viability revealed that BV exerted no significant cytotoxicity in the rat chondrocyte. Bee venom inhibited decreased cell viability in the presence of lipopolysaccharide ($10{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) in a dose dependent manner(0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and $5.0{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) at bee venom(p<0.05). Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ production in the presence of lipopolysaccharide($1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) was also inhibited in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05 from bee venom $0.1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$). Interleukin (IL)-6 production in the presence of lipopolysaccharide ($10{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) was inhibited as well (p<0.05 at bee venom 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and $5.0{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, respectively). Our results demonstrate that bee venom was a anti-inflammatory agent of chondrocytes. Bee venom may exert its anti inflammatory effects through inhibition of TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 synthesis, and may then pain relief and reduce the articular destruction.

• 대한약침학회지
• /
• 제10권2호통권23호
• /
• pp.81-86
• /
• 2007

Objectives : This study was conducted to carry out quantitative evaluation and safety of Sweet Bee Venom. Methods : Content analysis was done using HPLC, measurement of LD$^{50}$ was conducted intravenous, subcutaneous, and intramuscular injection to the ICR mice. Results : 1. According to HPLC analysis, removal of the enzymes containing phospholipase A2 was successfully rendered on Sweet Bee Venom. And analyzing melittin content, Sweet Bee Venom contained 12% more melittin than Bee Venom. 2. LD$^{50}$ of ICR mice with Sweet Bee Venom was more than 20mg/kg in subcutaneous injection and intravenous injection, between 15mg/kg and 20mg/kg in muscular injection. 3. LD$^{50}$ of ICR mice with Bee Venom was between 6 and 9mg/kg in subcutaneous injection and intravenous injection, and more than 9mg/kg in muscular injection. Conclusion : Above results indicate that Sweet Bee Venom was more safe than Bee Venom and the process of removing enzymes was well rendered in Sweet Bee Venom.