• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.95-103
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• 2006

Objectives : This study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of Bee Venom acupuncture therapy for acute ankle sprain. Methods : From September 1st, 2005 to December 31st, 2005, the 60 patients who had visited Conmaul oriental medical hospital with acute ankle sprain were sample into 2 groups for this study; one group for the bee-venom acupuncture therapy combined with needle acupuncture therapy and the other group for needle acupuncture therapy only at least 3 times respectively. Both group had been treated with same additional infrared lamp, physical therapy and ankle supporter during the whole treatment period. Among 60 patients, 20 participants satisfied the whole inclusion criteria. To estimate the efficacy of treatments, Numerical Rating System(NRS) and Ankle-Hindfoot Scale(AHS) were applied before 1st and 4th treatment. Each score results were analysed and compared by Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon signed rank test with the level of 5% significance. Result : The NRS score in bee-venom acupuncture therapy group was increased significantly and the AHS score in bee-venom therapy group was decreased significantly compared to each of single acupuncture therapy group(P<0.01). The score change comparisons between the two groups had no significance before and after the treatment. Conclusion : Both bee-venom acupuncture therapy and single acupuncture therapy were effective to treat the acute ankle sprain. but there were no significant data to prove that bee-venom acupuncture therapy is more effective than single acupuncture therapy.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.166-176
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• 2010

Objective : Benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH) is one of the most common diseases among elderly men. In BPH, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) acts as a potent cellular androgen and promotes prostate growth. Many reports conclude the component melittin in bee venom has the potential to treat various diseases including prostate cancer. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects and action mechanism of Bee venom herbal acupuncture with BPH induced by castration and testosterone treatment. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with testosterone after castration for induction of experimental BPH. A total of 24 rats were equally divided into four groups: Group 1 was the model group; Group 2 served as control (sham-operated group); Group 3 animals were treated with Bee venom herbal acupuncture as an experimental specimen; Group 4 served as a positive control group and was treated with finasteride at a dose of 1 mg/kg. The drugs were administered orally. The prostates were evaluated by prostatic weight, volume, histopathological changes and testosterone levels. Results : While prostates of control rats revealed severe acinar gland atrophy and stromal proliferation, the rats treated with Bee venom herbal acupuncture showed a diminished range of tissue damage and showed significant decrease in their prostatic weights, volume and histopathological examination. Conclusions : These results suggest that Bee venom herbal acupuncture may protect the glandular epithelial cells and also inhibit stromal proliferation. From theses results, we suggest that Bee venom herbal acupuncture could be a useful remedy agent for treating the benign prostatic hyperplasia.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.78-91
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• 2002

Objective : This study was designed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of bee venom on melanoma in C57BL mice. Materials and Methods : For the induction of melanoma, C57BL mice were treated by DMBA(7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene). Each group of C57BL mouse was treated with DMBA $50{\mu}g$, $75{\mu}g$, $100{\mu}g$ respectively once a week for 15 weeks. Tumor generation in each group of 10 mice was observed. Cumulative curves were showed in the density and frequency of skin tumor generation. To know the effects of pre-treatment of bee venom on tumor generation by DMBA treatment(frequency of tumor generation), Each group of C57BL mouse was pretreated and treated with bee venom $5{\mu}{\ell}$, $25{\mu}{\ell}$, $50{\mu}{\ell}$ respectively once a week for 3 weeks, whereafter each mouse was treated with DMBA $100{\mu}g$ once a week for 15 weeks. Results and Conclusion (1) There was chemotherapeutic effect, but not chemopreventive effect. (2) Cpp32 activity was increased by $50{\mu}{\ell}$ bee venom treatment. (3) Bee venom treatment inhibited expression of cell-cycle regulating, growth-promoting genes such as c-Jun, c-Fos, and Cyclin Dl, and increased tumor suppressors p53 and p21/Wafl. (4) Bee venom treatment activated expression of a representative apoptosis-inducing gene Bax.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.28-38
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• 2002

Objective : This study is aimed to investigate the effects of bee venom and purified bee venom on cell death in synovial cell line. Methods : It was evaluated by using MTT assay, morphological method, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry analysis, RT-PCR. Results : The result obtained is as follows. 1. The MTT assay demonstrated that synovial cell viability was significantly inhibitted dose-dependently by treatment with BV and PBV in comparison with control. And the inhibitory effect of BV and PBV was almost same. 2. The morphologic study demonstrated that synovial cell showed apoptotic body resulted from apoptosis after treatment with BV and PBV for 6 hours using microscope. 3. The Flow cytometry demonstrated that apoptosis of synovial cell treated with BV and PBV was related with stop of cell cycle in stage of G0/G1. 4. Immunocytochemistry assay demonstrated that COX-II and iNOS were slightly expressed by treatment with BV and PBV in comparison with control group. 5. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that COX-II were almost down-regulated by high dose treatment with BV and PBV in comparison with control group. iNOS were well down-regulated by treatment with $5{\mu}g/ml$ BV and PBV whereas it was well expressed in control group. Conclusion : These results suggest that bee venom and purified bee venom have significant effect on cell death in synovial cell line and further study is needed in vivo.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.19-26
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• 2006

Bee venom is synthesized in the venom gland's of worker and queen bees and stored in their venom sacs. Bee venom is a rich source of enzymes, peptides and biogenic amines. there are at least 18 active components in the venom which have some pharmaceutical properties. This study was performed to evaluate minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC) of bee venom against bacteria isolated from pjgs and chickens with disease. In case of reference strains, the MIC $({\mu}g/m{\ell})$ of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175, and Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 6538 were 64, 64 and 32, respectively. In case of bacteria isolated from pig and chicken, the MIC of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus hyicus and Staphylococcus chromogenes were 8, 128 and 128, and that of 11 strains of Escherichia coli were 8 to >512 and that of 8 strains of Salmonella sup were >512. Antibacterial resistance test of 22 strains isolated from pig and chicken and 3 reference strains were performed by agar gel diffusion method, using 17 antibacterial drugs including penicillin, cefazolin, tetracycline and quinolone group. The multiple drug resistant patterns were found in most strains isolated from pig and chicken.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.101-123
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• 2011

Objectives : The aim was to study the effect of bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy with different concentration on rheumatoid arthritis rat model. Methods : We enforced a bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy with different concentration on rheumatoid arthritis rat model by the intradermal injection of chicken type II collagen emulsified. 14 days after the onset of the rheumatoid arthritis rat model, a fixed volume of bee venom was daily injected to ST-35 acupoint in the rat's knee joint for 2-3 weeks. The hind paw volume, arthritic index, arthritic flexion pain test, pain threshold, and serum analysis (CRP, $PGE_2$, ALT, AST) were analyzed, and the expression profiles of COX-2, c-fos, and substance-P at the dorsal horn region of the spinal cord and subchondral bone of the knee joint were also analyzed by using the immunohistochemistry. Results : After the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis rats with bee venom pharmacopuncture, the paw volume of edema of arthritic rats were almost restored to the level of normal group, and behavior tests were very effective. Also the evaluation on the blood serum analysis was remarkable. COX-2, c-fos, and substance-P positive cells in the immunohistological section of dorsal horn region of the spinal cord and subchondral bone of the knee joints were significantly decreased. also the bee venom pharmacopuncture was effective to alleviate their rheumatoid arthritic inflammation cytokine inhibition as regards to the behavior tests and joint histological appearance. Conclusions : Based on the results in this study, bee venom pharmacopuncture with concentrated treatment condition was very effective in low fixed quantity and progressive low increased quantity.

• 한방재활의학과학회지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.17-31
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• 2013

Objectives : Peripheral nerve injuries are commonly encountered clinical problems and often result in serve functional deficit. Bee venom and scolopendra subspinipes have been traditionally used in oriental medicine to treat several inflammatory diseases and chronic pain conditions. Methods : In the present study, the effects of bee venom pharmacopuncture and scolopendra subspinipes pharmacopuncture on functional recovery, severity of pain, and expressions of neurofilament, cycloxygenease-2(COX-2), and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$(TNF-${\alpha}$) following sciatic crushed nerve injury in rats were investigated. For this study, walking tract analysis, plantar test, western blot for COX-2 and TNF-${\alpha}$, and immunohistochemistry for neurofilament were performed. Results : In the present results, sciatic functional index(SFI) in walking tract analysis was significantly decreased following sciatic crushed nerve injury, and pain severity in plantar test was significantly increased. COX-2 and TNF-${\alpha}$ expressions were increased whereas neurofilament expression was decreased by sciatic crushed nerve injury. On the other hand, bee venom pharmacopuncture and scolopendra subspinipes pharmacopuncture improved SFI in walking tract analysis and suppressed the pain severity in sciatic crushed nerve injury. Bee venom pharmacopuncture and scolopendra subspinipes pharmacopuncture suppressed COX-2 and TNF-${\alpha}$ expression and enhanced the neurofilament expression in sciatic crushed nerve injury. Conclusions : In the present study, we have shown that treatment with bee venom or scolopendra subspinipes is the effective therapeutic modality to ameliorate the symptoms of sciatic crushed nerve injury. The efficacies of bee venom and scolopendra subspinipes were similar.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.106-112
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Bee Venom Herb-Acupuncture on the jaw opening reflex evoked by tooth pulp stimulation. Rats were anesthetized with thiopental sodium given intraperitoneally in an initial dose of 80mg/kg. Maintenance doses of 5mg/kg thiopental sodium were given through a cannular in the femoral vein as required to maintain light anesthesia. To apply noxious stimuli, a pair of enameled wires were inserted into the tooth pulp of the lower incisor. The effects of conditioning stimuli were estimated as an indicator of the degree of suppression of the digastric muscle electromyogram(dEMG) in the jaw opening reflex. Bee Venom Herb- Acupuncture(0.2% solution 0.1ml/rat) was injected to Hapgok(LI4) loci. In addition, Normal Saline (0.1ml/rat) was injected to Hapgok loci so as to compare the degree of suppression elicited from Bee-Venom. By administration of Bee Venom Herb-Acupuncture, the amplitude of dEMG was maximally suppressed to $67.5{\pm}3.38%$ ipsilaterally, 73.33{\pm}8.00%$ contralaterally. Generally, the dEMG activities caused by electrical stimulation were gradually suppressed during the stimulation and maximal suppressive effect showed at 15min after its onset. However the dEMG activities by Be Venom Herb-Acupuncture were immediately suppressed after its onset and the suppressive effect continued for a long time compared to electrical stimulation. In conclusion, Bee Venom Herb-Acupuncture may have a different mechanism of analgesia from that of electro-acupuncture and contribute to the modulation of pain analgesia.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제28권1호통권69호
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• pp.11-24
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• 2007

Objectives : Hemiplegic shoulder pain is one of the common sequelae of stroke. Although many different methods of treatment are applied, none have yet been proved to be effective. In this study we assessed the effectiveness of bee venom in patients with shoulder pain after stroke. Methods : This study was a double blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. All subjects received either 0.6 ml bee venom injection (venom:saline = 1:10000) or 0.6ml physiological saline solution (placebo) at three acupoints. The effectiveness was assessed by visual analogue scale, pain rating score, Fugl-Meyer assessment and passive external rotation. Results : There were 24 patients in the venom group and 22 patients in the placebo group. The venom group5,hewed more effectiveness in VAS and PRS than the placebo group. Conclusions : This study suggests that bee venom injection has significant analgesic effect on hemiplegic shoulder pain. Further study based on multi-centers, larger population, and long term 1311ow-up is needed to confirm this suggestion.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.177-183
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the antibiotic effects of bee venom (Apis mellifera) on the growth performance and blood characteristics in broiler chicken. 1-day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into 3 groups with 3 replicates of 5,000 birds each. The treatments were control without antibiotic and bee venom, 0.5ppm or 1ppm bee venom. The final body weight and body weight gain were significantly higher in bee venom than control (P<0.05). The feed conversion ratio in all treated groups were significantly improved as compared to that of control (P<0.05). No significant differences among the groups were observed in the contents of total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, albumin and globulin in blood serum. The white blood cell, red blood cell, heterophil, lymphocyte, and stress indicator (heterophil:lymphocyte rate) were not significantly different among the groups. The superoxide dismutase-like activities in the groups that were water containing bee venom were significantly increased compared to those in the control group (P<0.05). It has been suggested that bee venom promotes the growth of broilers without any negative effect when added in broiler water.