The nociceptive and anti-nociceptive effects of bee venom injection and therapy: A double-edged sword

Abstract

Bee venom injection as a therapy, like many other complementary and alternative medicine approaches, has been used for thousands of years to attempt to alleviate a range of diseases including arthritis. More recently, additional theraupeutic goals have been added to the list of diseases making this a critical time to evaluate the evidence for the beneficial and adverse effects of bee venom injection. Although reports of pain reduction (analgesic and antinociceptive) and anti-inflammatory effects of bee venom injection are accumulating in the literature, it is common knowledge that bee venom stings are painful and produce inflammation. In addition, a significant number of studies have been performed in the past decade highlighting that injection of bee venom and components of bee venom produce significant signs of pain or nociception, inflammation and many effects at multiple levels of immediate, acute and prolonged pain processes. This report reviews the extensive new data regarding the deleterious effects of bee venom injection in people and animals, our current understanding of the responsible underlying mechanisms and critical venom components, and provides a critical evaluation of reports of the beneficial effects of bee venom injection in people and animals and the proposed underlying mechanisms. Although further studies are required to make firm conclusions, therapeutic bee venom injection may be beneficial for some patients, but may also be harmful. This report highlights key patterns of results, critical shortcomings, and essential areas requiring further study.

Use of multi-electrode array recordings in studies of network synaptic plasticity in both time and space

“…and pathological conditions [27,28] . In this respect, our lab investigated the possible existence of spatial plasticity in the hippocampal formation (HF) induced by persistent peripheral nociceptive stimuli in a rodent model of bee venom (BV)-evoked persistent inflammatory pain [29] . Using the newly-established MED64 system (Alpha MED Scientific…”

Secondary Hyperalgesia to Heat Stimuli Induced by Continuous Deep Pain: A Case Report

“…However, in human study, secondary hyperalgesia to mechanical stimuli was coexisted with secondary hyperalgesia to heat stimuli when melittin, the active ingredient of bee venom, was injected. 11,12) As mentioned earlier, many studies reported that secondary hyperalgesia to heat stimuli appeared simultaneously with mechanical stimuli in that area. [5][6][7][8] Based on these studies, although the patient reported secondary hyperalgesia only to heat stimuli, there is a possibility that subclinical secondary hyperalgesia to mechanical stimuli may be coexisted.…”

“…[5][6][7][8] Secondary hyperalgesia to heat stimuli was induced by topical application of mustard oil, injection of kaolin and carrageenan, and injection of melittin in animal experiments. [9][10][11] In humans, injection of melittin and capsaicin, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and burn injury can produce secondary hyperalgesia to heat stimuli. 6,8,[12][13][14] Most reports on secondary hyperalgesia in humans were in the skin and there were few reports of secondary hyperalgesia to heat stimuli in oral cavity.…”

Cytokine assessment and Immunomodulatory Effect of Bee Venom in HBV&HCV Infected Patients

“…There is statistically highly significant decreased in the levels of liver enzyme (SGPT, and SGOT) after 9 months treatment among HBV patients, Table 2. [20].…”