Neuroprotective and Neurotherapeutic Effects of Bee Venom on Neurodegenerative Diseases
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1
Suez Canal University, Biotechnology Research Center, Egypt
Acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases are illnesses associated with high morbidity and mortality, and few or no effective options are available for their treatment. A characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases — which include stroke, brain trauma, spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease — is neuronal cell death. Given that central nervous system tissue has very limited, if any, regenerative capacity, it is of utmost importance to limit the damage caused by neuronal death. Bee venom, which is also known as apitoxin, consists of several biologically active peptides, including melittin, adolapin, mast cell degranulating peptide and phospholipase A2. Moreover, bee venom contains a variety of bioamines, such as apamin, histamine, procamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, which facilitate nerve transmission and healing in a variety of nerve disorders. This gives bee venom the ability to travel along the neural pathways from the spine to various trigger points and injured areas to help repair nerve damage and restore mobility. This review overviews; (1) causes and mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases which pertains to neuronal cell death, (2) evidence linking composition comprising bee venom to its substantial potential for preventing and treating of neurodegenerative diseases associated with neuronal cell death, and (3) how improving our knowledge of the mechanisms mediating neuroprotective and neurotherapeutic activities of bee venom against neuronal cell death may led to novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Future challenges remaining will be to elucidate signaling responses activated by bee venom in neurons. In other words, bee venom inhibits neuronal cell death and activation of proapoptotic signaling in neurons. These findings emphasize the clinical importance of bee venom for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Further investigation is necessary to elaborate the mechanisms involved and to permit full exploitation of neuroprotective and neurotherapeutic potentials of bee venom.
References
Doo AR et al. (2012): Bee venom protects SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells from 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium-induced apoptotic cell death. Brain Res, 1429: 106-115.
Lee SM et al. (2012): Effects of Bee Venom on Glutamate-Induced Toxicity in Neuronal and Glial Cells. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012: 368196, doi:10.1155/2012/368196.
Rakha MK (2011): Impact of Beehive Products on the Cardiovascular Neurophysiology Expands Novel Horizons in Apitherapy. Conference Abstract: 10th Meeting of the Société des Neurosciences, May 24-27, 2011, Marseille, France.
Yang EJ et al. (2011): Melittin restores proteasome function in an animal model of ALS. J Neuroinflammation, 8: 69, doi: 10.1186/1742-2094-8-69.
Yang EJ et al. (2010): Bee venom attenuates neuroinflammatory events and extends survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis models. J Neuroinflammation, 7: 69, doi: 10.1186/1742-2094-7-69.
Keywords:
Bee Venom,
Neuroprotective Activity,
Neurotherapeutic Potential,
Neuronal Cells,
Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Conference:
4th Conference of the Mediterrarnean Neuroscience Society, Istanbul, Türkiye, 30 Sep - 3 Oct, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Abstracts
Citation:
Rakha
MK
(2013). Neuroprotective and Neurotherapeutic Effects of Bee Venom on Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Conference Abstract:
4th Conference of the Mediterrarnean Neuroscience Society.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2013.210.00057
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Received:
26 Jan 2013;
Published Online:
11 Apr 2013.
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Correspondence:
Dr. Miran K Rakha, Suez Canal University, Biotechnology Research Center, Ismailia, Egypt, miran.rakha@bue.edu.eg