• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.247-259
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• 2020

Objectives: This review aims to investigate clinical studies related to bee venom pharmacopuncture for cancer patients and to analyze the research trend for further study. Methods: We searched for clinical studies using bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy on patients with cancer through the electronic databases including Pubmed, Cochrane library, OASIS, KISS, NDSL, and KMBASE. There was no restriction on language and publication date, and after selection/exclusion process, the study design, target disease, intervention details including acupoints, treatment frequency and period, outcomes, study results and adverse events were extracted. Results: Thirteen clinical studies were finally selected. There were a randomized controlled trial RCT about the effect of sweet bee venom pharmacopuncture on cancer-related pain, and three case series about chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. In case reports, there were nine studies about oligodendroglioma, plexiform neurofibroma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, urachal adenocarcinoma, malignant melanoma, and atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. The bee venom therapy affected the improvement of outcomes such as symptoms, quality of life, tumor response, and lab findings. Conclusions: The present study found that bee venom therapy is applicable to the treatment of cancer patients, and showed some effect on various symptoms. However, due to insufficient number and quality of studies, well designed and high-quality clinical trials are necessary to confirm the effectiveness and safety of bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy in patients with cancer.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2008

Objectives : To verify pain relief effects and allergy inhibitory action for the osteoarthritis of the knee joint in Sweet Bee Venom in which allergy causing enzyme is removed. Methods : We randomly allocated 30 participants to treatment group Sweet Bee Venom and Bee Venom. Outcomes on pain reduction were measured by 100mm VAS(Visual Analog Scale). And we recorded into details allergic responses during Pharmacopuncture treatment. Results : Whole body condition and pain rate through VAS measurement were improved significantly in 2 weeks. We could get difference in pain score of two Pharmacopuncture groups significantly in 2 weeks. Sweet BV group($0.1{\beta}mg/m{\ell}$) showed superior reduction in pain compared to the BV group($0.1{\beta}mg/m{\ell}$) significantly. And other allergic responses such as edema, itchiness, pain were significantly lower in the Sweet BV group.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2003

Bee venom has been clinically used to control the pain of inflammation disease etc. in general. Although the effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture has been reported, its mechanism has not been fully elucidated yet. Free radical metabolism seems to occupy a remarkably common position in the mechanisms of inflammation and ageing related disease. Oxidative damage to DNA, lipids, proteins and other molecules may contribute to the development inflammation disease. NO or DPPH is one of the free radicals and a mediator in inflammation diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate the scavenging effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture against NO and DPPH. The followings are the summary of the results: (1) There is no significant scavenging effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture on NO in BVS and BVP group. (2) There is a significant scavenging effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture on DPPH in BVS-1 and BVP-1 group. These results suggest that bee venom herbal acupuncture can be used for inflammation diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. This study would provide important basic data on the possibility of the clinical treatment of bee venom herbal acupuncture. Further studies are required to investigate the antioxidative effects of it.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.164-178
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• 2001

Objective : To research the trends of the study related to bee venom and arthritis, and to establish the hereafter direction of the study on bee venom herval acupuncture. Method : We searched in PubMed, with bee venom and arthritis (with abstract). Results : 1. We searched15 Papers, and the pattern of the was as fallows: Experimental study(13 Papers), Epidemiologic study(2), Review study(1). 2. The type of the experimental studies(12 Papers) was as follows: In vivo(6 Paper), In vitro(6). And the involved components of bee venom were as follows: Bee venom itself(6 Papers), Melittin(3), PLAP(1), PLAP & Melittin(1), Adolapin(1). 3. Among the experimental studies(12 Papers), the mechanism of inflammation was 10 papers (Inhibition 7, Inducer 3), and the effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture therapy were 2 papers.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.119-140
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• 2000

The authors reports in order to study the effect of Bee Venom therapy of progressive muscle atrophy. The authors investigated 1 patient who is treated at Woosuk University Oriental Medical Hospital. The patient diagnosed by MRI EMG Hematology Muscle biopsy as progressive muscle atrophy is administered by Bee Venom therapy for 4 months. Bee Venom therapy is operated by 2 times per a week(every 3 days, 0.1cc per one operation, 0.05cc per one acupuncture point). The authors checked changes of this patient's chief symptoms by comparing before and after Bee Venom therapy is operated at 30 times. After Bee Venom therapy, the patient increased motor power & ROM, decreased general cooling sense & swallowing disorder. As above, the authors conclude that better results can be obtained Oriental Medical Treatment with Bee Venom therapy in progressive muscle atrophy

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.67-71
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• 2006

Objective : Herniation of Intervertebral Disc(HIVD) is the most common disease causing low back pain. Acupuncture and Bee Venom Acupuncture has been us ε d for treatment of HIVD. This study is to investigate the effective of Bee Venom Acupuncture for HIVD. Methods : We researched 18 patients who were diagnosed by CT and MRI as having HIVD, and treated them Acupuncture only or Acupuncture and Bee Venom Acupuncture. We compared the VAS and ROM angle of two groups. Results & Conclusions : 1. In admission date, no significant improvement between Acupuncture group and Bee Venom Acupuncture group 2. In variation of flexion and extension, Bee Venom Acupuncture group shows statistically significant improvement 3. In VAS, Bee Venom Acupuncture group shows statistically significant improvement for 1 week and discharge day

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.120-129
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• 2000

This study was designed to study on major components of various Bee Venom(Bee Venom by electrical stimulation in Korea; K-BV I, Bee Venom by Microwave stimulation in Korea; K-BV II, 0.5mg/ml, Fu Yu Pharmaceutical Factory, China; C-BV, 1mg/ml, Monmouth Pain Institute, Inc., U.S.A.; A-BV) using HPLC(High performance liquid chromatography). The results were summarized as follows : 1. HPLC method is useful for analysis of Bee Venom when solution rate is above 1:4000. 2. Analysis of Apamin using HPLC, the Retention time was 8.7min, and standard measurement curve was a function of y=4E+06x+21245. 3. Analysis of Melittin using HPLC, the Retention time was 29.0 min, and standard measurement curve was a function of y=4E+06x+23015. 4. Concentration of Melittin was about 297times than Apamin in K-BV I, and about 329times in K-BV II at same 1:500 solution rate, abnormally about 12 times in C-BV at 1:4000 solution rate. 5. Chinese Bee Venom using HPLC, the point from 5 to 7min(Retention time) showed a big extraordinary peak. These data from the study can be applied to establish the standard measurement of Bee Venom and prevent pure bee venom from mixing of another components. I think it is desirable to study more about safety of Bee Venom as time goes by.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.41-54
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• 2008

Objective : In this study, we investigated the effects of Sweet Bee Venom(SBV) and Bee Venom(BV) at a acupoint, HT7(Shinmun) on the Heart Rate Variability(HRV) in the healthy man. And we tried to observe how Sweet Bee Venom and Bee Venom affects on the balance of the autonomic nervous system. Methods : We investigated on 22 heathy volunteers consisted of 10 subjects in SBV group and 12 subjects in BV group. Study form was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. 22 subjects of each group were injected SBV and BV at HT7(Shinmun). And we measured HRV by QECG-3:LXC3203 (LAXTHA Inc. Korea) on 7 times : before and after injection per 5minutes during 30minutes. Results : 1. After SBV injection, Mean-RR was significantly high from 0 to 10 minutes, Mean-HRV was significantly low from to 10 minutes, SDNN was significantly high after 25minutes, Complexity was significantly high from 5 to 10 minutes and RMSSD was significantly high from 5 to 10minutes. 2. Complexity of SBV Group significantly decreased from 20 to 25minutes, RMSSD of SBV Group significantly increased from 10 to 15minute and from $20{\sim}25$minutes, SDSD of SBV Group significantly increased from 10 to 15 minute and from $20{\sim}25$minutes compared with that of BV group. 3. After SBV injection, Ln(VLF) was significantly from 25 to 30minutes. Conclusions : The results suggest that SBV in heathy adult man tend to activate the autonomic nervous system compared to BV within normal range.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.85-97
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• 2003

Introduction : In this study, the analgesic effect and its mechanism of bee venom aqua-acupuncture on complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats was investigated. It has been reported from a neurochemical standpoint that bee venom exerts antinociceptive effects on inflammation and that the opioid system and adrenergic system play important roles in acupuncture analgesia. however, it is not known whether central opioid and ${\alpha}2$-adrenergic components of the intrinsic descending analgesic system are activated after bee venom aqua-acupuncture. Methods : Bee venom(1mg/kg) was subcutaneously aqua-acupunctured into Joksamni($ST_{36}$) of rats with complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA)- induced arthritis and was checked of increase in TFL. Opioid and ${\alpha}_2$-adrenergic neurotransmitter system were examined by naloxone as an opioid receptor antagonist, and yohimbine as ${\alpha}_2$-adrenoceptor antagonist prior to bee venom aqua-acupuncture. Results : The following results have been obtained. 1. The tail flick latency in the rat model with adjuvant-induced arthritis was significantly decreased in 2 weeks. 2. The tail flick latency in the rat model with adjuvant-induced arthritis was increased in bee venom aqua-acupuncture group compared to the normal saline aqua-acupuncture group. 3. Analgesic effect of bee venom was antagonized by yohimbine not by naloxone pretreatment in the rat model adjuvant-induced arthritis. Conclusions : Bee venom aqua-acupuncture has an analgesic effect on the rat model of adjuvant-induced of adjuvant-induced arthritis and has antinociception mediated by ${\alpha}_2$-adrenergic system.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.47-56
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• 2016

Objectives : This study examined the effects of Bee venom on apoptosis in NCI-H157 human lung cancer cells and for promoting the apoptosis effects of Natural killer cell. Methods : Bee venom and Natural killer-92 cells were cultured either separately from or together with NCI-H157 cells for 24 hours. To figure out whether Bee venom enhances the cytotoxic effect of Natural Killer-92 cells, a cell viability assay was conducted. To observe the changes in Death receptors, apoptotic regulatory proteins and Nuclear $Factor-{\kappa}B$, western blot analysis was conducted. To observe the effect of Bee venom through an extrinsic mechanism, a transfection assay was conducted. Results : 1. Natural killer-92 cells and Bee venom significantly inhibited the growth of NCI-H157 cells and co-culture had more inhibitory effect than the separate culture. 2. Expressions of Fas, DR3, DR6, Bax, caspase-3, caspase-8, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-8 were increased, and expressions of Bcl-2 and cIAP were decreased. More efficacy was observed in co-culture than in separate culture. 3. Nuclear $Factor-{\kappa}B$ activation was clearly decreased. And co-culture showed much less activation than separate culture. 4. As a result of treatment for DR-siRNA, the reduced cell viability of NCI-H157 cells and the activity of Nuclear $Factor-{\kappa}B$ were increased. With this, it can be seen that Bee venom and Natural killer-92 cells have an effect on the cancer cells through the extrinsic mechanism. Conclusion : Bee venom is effective in inhibiting the growth of human lung cancer cells. Furthermore Bee venom effectively enhances the functions of Natural killer cells.