Bee Venom Clinical Application
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Authors
Potselueva, Tamara
Issue Date
2013
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Naturopathy , Bee venom , Bee venom therapy , Multiple sclerosis , Dried venom sac equivalents
Alternative Title
Abstract
We are living in what has been termed the “post antibiotics era’ where the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogen strains is rapidly growing and where the introduction of and the development of novel antimicrobial agents, which are effective against these pathogens has declined significantly. As a result, we urgently need effective alternatives to the use of antibiotics. Long before there were hypodermic needles to administer local anesthetics and opioid medications there were bees. Apitherapy is treatment of diseases with biologically active products of bee-keeping, which is developing in an intensive way all over the world. The interest in apitherapy is explained, on the one hand, by a great number of natural compounds produced by bees as a result of their vital functions and having high physiological activity, and on the other hand, by the universal nature of bees occurrence and comparative simplicity of getting the bee-keeping products. Bee venom has magnificent healing properties and is effective for the treatment of multiple chronic and autoimmune conditions. The list of conditions where bee venom therapy can make a significant lasting difference is growing. It is remarkably safe, but unfortunately only a limited number of health care practitioners are familiar with its use and effectiveness. For centuries bee venom has been used to treat multiple illnesses in humans and animals. Homeopathic honeybee venom therapy is a natural anti-inflammatory and pain reducing agent. It is widely used in Europe and countries of the Far East. Bee venom therapy, the therapeutic application of bee venom, has been used in traditional medicine to treat diseases, such as acute and chronic pain, arthriti, rheumatism, cancerous tumors, atherosclerosis and skin diseases. Recently it became widely used for Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Lyme disease and many other prevailing diseases of our time. Bee venom contains a variety of peptides, including melittin, apamin, adolapin, the mast-cell-degranulating peptide, enzymes (i.e., phospholipase A), biologically active amines (i.e., histamine and epinephrine), and nonpeptide components which have a variety of pharmaceutical properties. Bee venom has been reported to have anti-arthritis effects in several arthritis models. Melittin, a major peptide component of venom, has anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritis properties, and its inhibitory activity on nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) may be essential for the effects of bee venom. Its anti-nociceptive effects have also been demonstrated in thermal, visceral, and inflammatory pain models. Apcupoint stimulation (apipuncture) therapy into subcutaneous region may be important in the bee venom-induced anti-nociceptive effects. Multiple mechanisms, such as activation of the central and spinal opiod receptor, and alpha adrenergic activity, as well as activation of the descending serotonergic pathway have been suggested. The inhibition of c-Fos expression in the spinal cord by apipuncture in several nociceptive models is also reported to be a possible mechanism. Bee venom also has anti cancer activity. The cell cytotoxic effects through the activation of PLA by melittin have been suggested to be the critical mechanism for the anti-cancer activity. The conjugation of cell lytic peptide (melittin) with hormone receptors and gene therapy carrying melittin can be useful as a novel targeted therapy for some types of cancer, such as prostate and breast cancer. Bees have long been appreciated for their medicinal purposes. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used pulverized bees and bee stings in his medical practices. Charlemagne was also reported to have stung himself with bees. It was thought that bees had beneficial effects on chronic pain, helped digestion, and could restore vital humors in the body. However, scientific inquiry into bee stings did not begin until the late 19th century. An Austrian physician, Phillip Terc, noticed that his rheumatism patients experienced positive results from bee stings. The primary utilization of bee-venom therapy (BVT) in allopathic medicine has been to curb bee sting allergy via desensitization shots. To many people, a bee sting is a transient yet painful inconvenience. But to 0.5 -2 percent of the population, a sting can trigger an extreme allergic reaction that compromises the respiratory system. This response is known as an anaphylactic reaction. Other physiologic responses during anaphylaxis include decreased blood pressure, skin rashes, tachycardia, chills, and generalized pallor. In more serious cases there is shortness of breath, heart palpitations and constriction, syncope, and possible death. For such individuals, allergy desensitization or venom immunotherapy can be given under the supervision of a physician. Controlled administration of bee venom in this manner can gradually desensitize the person's immune system to the harmful reactions that can occur with the bee venom and decrease the risk of anaphylaxis. BVT has also been studied for other conditions including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Lyme disease and many others. Many published reports have shown that BVT shows promise in these conditions.
Description
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Citation
T. Potselueva, "Bee Venom Clinical Application", ND dissertation, College of Naturopathic Medicine, Univ. of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT, 2013.