Bee Venom May Soothe Rheumatoid Arthritis

[Guest guest]

Bee Venom May Soothe Rheumatoid Arthritis

By Janice Billingsley

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDayNews) -- While bee venom has been touted for many

years as an analgesic for arthritis sufferers, a new study has discovered

just how it might work to make people feel better.

In animal studies conducted last year, doctors in South Korea found that

melittin, the principal peptide in bee venom, blocks the expression of

inflammatory genes that can cause painful tissue swelling in rheumatoid

arthritis patients.

" The potency of melittin in the inhibition of the inflammatory response may

be of great benefit in degenerative and inflammatory diseases such as

rheumatoid arthritis, " the authors wrote in their study, which appears in

the November issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism.

For the study, researchers first studied rats treated to induce inflammatory

arthritis. For rats with advanced rheumatoid arthritis, low doses of bee

venom dramatically reduced tissue swelling as well as abnormal bony growth

caused by the disease.

Next, researchers tested the anti-inflammatory effects of melittin on human

synovial cells of arthritis patients. Synovial cells are those that line the

joints, and which are vulnerable to inflammation among arthritis sufferers.

They found the melittin blocked the expression of the genes that cause the

inflammation and pain suffered by arthritis patients. The melittin worked in

a similar way to a class of drugs called cox-2 inhibitors, which are now

used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and reduce inflammation, the scientists

wrote.

The melittin also reduced the amount of nitric oxide in the synovial cells,

the researchers found. This has potential palliative effects as well,

because there is evidence that tissues affected by inflammatory arthritis

produce large amounts of nitric oxide.

" Although further study is needed for determination of an effective dose,

our data show that the anti-arthritic effects of bee venom are related to

its anti-inflammatory effects, " the authors wrote.

" This is an interesting study. The authors are claiming that bee venom

actually causes a reduction in inflammatory response, which is

counterintuitive, because a bee sting causes severe local inflammation, with

swelling and edema, " said Dingledine, chairman of the department of

pharmacology at Atlanta's Emory School of Medicine.

Dingledine said it has been thought that the reason bee venom, which has

been a folk medicine for arthritis for a long time, might have a soothing

effect on arthritis is because when stung by a bee, the body produces

cortisone to fight the local inflammation, and it was thought that the

increase in cortisone could be easing the swelling of other tissue affected

by arthritis.

But he said there haven't been controlled clinical trials to determine

whether there really is a benefit, for the very practical reason that bee

stings " hurt like crazy " and a study would have to create a placebo that

would be equally painful.

Also, he added, there are other medications for arthritis (like nonsteroidal

anti-inflammatory drugs), as well as surgery, exercise and diet.

" However, there are people for whom standard treatments don't work, and this

is a new idea for how bee venom might have anti-inflammatory advantages, " he

said.

Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease and potentially debilitating disease

mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining of the joints, affects

approximately 2.1 million people in the United States, primarily women,

according to the Arthritis Foundation.

[Guest guest]

I had bees for a while and was stung often. I'd heard of the philosophy

concerning bees and only noticed it would numb in that area for a few days,

no other magic. Swelling goes away and it's back to normal, at least for me.

Dennis

[ ] Bee Venom May Soothe Rheumatoid Arthritis

>

> Bee Venom May Soothe Rheumatoid Arthritis

> By Janice Billingsley

> HealthDay Reporter

>

> THURSDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDayNews) -- While bee venom has been touted for

> many

> years as an analgesic for arthritis sufferers, a new study has discovered

> just how it might work to make people feel better.

>

> In animal studies conducted last year, doctors in South Korea found that

> melittin, the principal peptide in bee venom, blocks the expression of

> inflammatory genes that can cause painful tissue swelling in rheumatoid

> arthritis patients.

>

> " The potency of melittin in the inhibition of the inflammatory response

> may

> be of great benefit in degenerative and inflammatory diseases such as

> rheumatoid arthritis, " the authors wrote in their study, which appears in

> the November issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism.

>

> For the study, researchers first studied rats treated to induce

> inflammatory

> arthritis. For rats with advanced rheumatoid arthritis, low doses of bee

> venom dramatically reduced tissue swelling as well as abnormal bony growth

> caused by the disease.

>

> Next, researchers tested the anti-inflammatory effects of melittin on

> human

> synovial cells of arthritis patients. Synovial cells are those that line

> the

> joints, and which are vulnerable to inflammation among arthritis

> sufferers.

>

> They found the melittin blocked the expression of the genes that cause the

> inflammation and pain suffered by arthritis patients. The melittin worked

> in

> a similar way to a class of drugs called cox-2 inhibitors, which are now

> used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and reduce inflammation, the scientists

> wrote.

>

> The melittin also reduced the amount of nitric oxide in the synovial

> cells,

> the researchers found. This has potential palliative effects as well,

> because there is evidence that tissues affected by inflammatory arthritis

> produce large amounts of nitric oxide.

>

> " Although further study is needed for determination of an effective dose,

> our data show that the anti-arthritic effects of bee venom are related to

> its anti-inflammatory effects, " the authors wrote.

>

> " This is an interesting study. The authors are claiming that bee venom

> actually causes a reduction in inflammatory response, which is

> counterintuitive, because a bee sting causes severe local inflammation,

> with

> swelling and edema, " said Dingledine, chairman of the department

> of

> pharmacology at Atlanta's Emory School of Medicine.

>

> Dingledine said it has been thought that the reason bee venom, which has

> been a folk medicine for arthritis for a long time, might have a soothing

> effect on arthritis is because when stung by a bee, the body produces

> cortisone to fight the local inflammation, and it was thought that the

> increase in cortisone could be easing the swelling of other tissue

> affected

> by arthritis.

>

> But he said there haven't been controlled clinical trials to determine

> whether there really is a benefit, for the very practical reason that bee

> stings " hurt like crazy " and a study would have to create a placebo that

> would be equally painful.

>

> Also, he added, there are other medications for arthritis (like

> nonsteroidal

> anti-inflammatory drugs), as well as surgery, exercise and diet.

>

> " However, there are people for whom standard treatments don't work, and

> this

> is a new idea for how bee venom might have anti-inflammatory advantages, "

> he

> said.

>

> Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease and potentially debilitating

> disease

> mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining of the joints, affects

> approximately 2.1 million people in the United States, primarily women,

> according to the Arthritis Foundation.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I had bees for a while and was stung often. I'd heard of the philosophy

concerning bees and only noticed it would numb in that area for a few days,

no other magic. Swelling goes away and it's back to normal, at least for me.

Dennis

[ ] Bee Venom May Soothe Rheumatoid Arthritis

>

> Bee Venom May Soothe Rheumatoid Arthritis

> By Janice Billingsley

> HealthDay Reporter

>

> THURSDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDayNews) -- While bee venom has been touted for

> many

> years as an analgesic for arthritis sufferers, a new study has discovered

> just how it might work to make people feel better.

>

> In animal studies conducted last year, doctors in South Korea found that

> melittin, the principal peptide in bee venom, blocks the expression of

> inflammatory genes that can cause painful tissue swelling in rheumatoid

> arthritis patients.

>

> " The potency of melittin in the inhibition of the inflammatory response

> may

> be of great benefit in degenerative and inflammatory diseases such as

> rheumatoid arthritis, " the authors wrote in their study, which appears in

> the November issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism.

>

> For the study, researchers first studied rats treated to induce

> inflammatory

> arthritis. For rats with advanced rheumatoid arthritis, low doses of bee

> venom dramatically reduced tissue swelling as well as abnormal bony growth

> caused by the disease.

>

> Next, researchers tested the anti-inflammatory effects of melittin on

> human

> synovial cells of arthritis patients. Synovial cells are those that line

> the

> joints, and which are vulnerable to inflammation among arthritis

> sufferers.

>

> They found the melittin blocked the expression of the genes that cause the

> inflammation and pain suffered by arthritis patients. The melittin worked

> in

> a similar way to a class of drugs called cox-2 inhibitors, which are now

> used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and reduce inflammation, the scientists

> wrote.

>

> The melittin also reduced the amount of nitric oxide in the synovial

> cells,

> the researchers found. This has potential palliative effects as well,

> because there is evidence that tissues affected by inflammatory arthritis

> produce large amounts of nitric oxide.

>

> " Although further study is needed for determination of an effective dose,

> our data show that the anti-arthritic effects of bee venom are related to

> its anti-inflammatory effects, " the authors wrote.

>

> " This is an interesting study. The authors are claiming that bee venom

> actually causes a reduction in inflammatory response, which is

> counterintuitive, because a bee sting causes severe local inflammation,

> with

> swelling and edema, " said Dingledine, chairman of the department

> of

> pharmacology at Atlanta's Emory School of Medicine.

>

> Dingledine said it has been thought that the reason bee venom, which has

> been a folk medicine for arthritis for a long time, might have a soothing

> effect on arthritis is because when stung by a bee, the body produces

> cortisone to fight the local inflammation, and it was thought that the

> increase in cortisone could be easing the swelling of other tissue

> affected

> by arthritis.

>

> But he said there haven't been controlled clinical trials to determine

> whether there really is a benefit, for the very practical reason that bee

> stings " hurt like crazy " and a study would have to create a placebo that

> would be equally painful.

>

> Also, he added, there are other medications for arthritis (like

> nonsteroidal

> anti-inflammatory drugs), as well as surgery, exercise and diet.

>

> " However, there are people for whom standard treatments don't work, and

> this

> is a new idea for how bee venom might have anti-inflammatory advantages, "

> he

> said.

>

> Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease and potentially debilitating

> disease

> mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining of the joints, affects

> approximately 2.1 million people in the United States, primarily women,

> according to the Arthritis Foundation.

>

>

>

>

>