Bee venom has a very powerful biological effect on the human body, much stronger than honey and propolis. Therefore, uncontrolled use of bee venom by unqualified people can be dangerous and even fatal for a patient.
Modern science has extensive knowledge of the pharmacological effects of bee venom on the human and animal body. Vast clinical usage suggests that bee venom in skillful hands can be extremely useful in the treatment of many diseases as an independent and as an auxiliary agent. The effect of bee venom on the human body is characterized by a wide spectrum. Proteins have the greatest biological activity. The protein component consists of three fractions.
Zero fraction (F-0) – is has no toxic properties.
Fraction 1 (F-1) is the most active part of the bee venom. Its basis is peptide melittin; its biological activity is very high.
In large doses, it has a negative effect on the nervous system, circulatory system, muscles, and blood. It causes local inflammations, lowers blood pressure, slows down blood clotting and has an anticoagulant effect. At therapeutic doses, melittin increases production of glucocorticosteroids and contributes to the suppression of the inflammatory process.
Fraction 1 also includes peptide apamin and MCP-peptide; both have a great biological activity. Apamin consists of 18 amino acids. It has a strong stimulating effect on the central and peripheral nervous systems, and in large doses causes seizures. It blocks the inflammatory response, acting as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Apamin promotes the production of antibodies by stimulating immune cells and it does not cause allergies.
The MSD peptide consists of 22 amino acids. Its biological properties resemble the properties of melittin and apamin. It also has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect and destructive effect on mast cells, which is accompanied by the release of histamine, serotonin, and heparin. The anti-inflammatory activity of MSD-peptide and apamin, according to some scientists (G. Vaisman, 1975), is 100 times stronger than Hydrocortisone, and the analgesic effect is 10-50 times higher than narcotic analgesics (B.N. Orlov, 1965).
Fraction 2 (F-2) of bee venom proteins is less toxic than F-1, it contains 13 amino acids (methionine, histidine, tyrosine, etc.). The most important thing is that F-2 contains 2 very active enzymes – phospholipase A and hyaluronidase. Phospholipase A converts lecithin to lysolecithin, a toxic substance that damages cell membranes and can cause their destruction. Phospholipase A ruptures red blood cells that leads them to hemolysis. Hyaluronidase contributes to the absorption of the bee venom by significantly increasing the permeability of blood vessels and enhancing local edema.
F-2 components inhibit the action of the enzyme thrombokinase, which leads to a decrease in blood coagulation. Because of that, multiple stings may be accompanied by hemorrhages in the internal organs and sometimes death.
Of the biologically active amines contained in bee venom, the most active are histamine and acetylcholine. Their effect on the human body is manifested by the expansion of arterioles and capillaries, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure, blood retention in the liver and lungs, and a decrease in the mass of circulating blood. They contribute to the increase in the permeability of cell membranes, the disturbance of intercellular metabolism, enhancing the effect of bee venom on the body. Large doses of these amines increase the motor activity of the gastrointestinal tract, causing a contraction in the muscles of the bronchi, gall bladder, and uterus. Collapse and shock are possible.
Bee venom contains inorganic compounds such as formic, hydrochloric, orthophosphoric acids. Penetrating into the sting wound, they cause a pronounced local reaction, a feeling of severe pain and burning.
Bee venom produces a ganglion-blocking action – it interferes with the transmission of nervous excitement in the ganglia of vegetative nervous system. The bee venom blocks the transmission of nerve impulses from the vagus nerve to the heart. In high concentrations, it can lead to contracture and heart failure. In large doses, bee venom causes a tonic contraction of smooth and striated muscles.
In therapeutic doses, apitoxin does not manifest toxic effects and has a positive effect on the course of many pathological processes and conditions, and on the functions of various organs and systems. However, in some cases, even in therapeutic doses, it can have an adverse effect on the body.
Bee venom has a diverse effect on various organs and systems. The action of the bee venom is characterized by non-specificity and versatility. This explains its effectiveness in treating various diseases, especially those involving the inflammatory process. Its effect on pituitary gland and adrenal gland (the most important part of endocrine system), manifests by increasing the nonspecific defenses of the body.
Bee venom in therapeutic doses has:
- anti-inflammatory effect;
- analgesic effect;
- hyposensitizing effect;
The anti-inflammatory effect of bee venom is similar to the action of steroid hormones and adrenocorticotropic hormones (ACTH) (E.M. Alesker, 1964). The poison activates the pituitary gland and adrenal cortex system which increases the production of cortisol and 17 ketosteroids. This leads to a decrease in the formation of hyaluronidase, suppression of the processes of exudation, the production of fibroblasts, reticular cells and decrease in the formation of pathological antibodies. Bee venom has a regulating effect on the protein composition of the blood: it leads to an increase in total protein, an increase in the content of albumin in the blood and a decrease in high rates of globulin. The anti-inflammatory effect of bee venom is confirmed by many clinical observations in the treatment of patients with rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, as well as some neurological and skin diseases.
It is very important to emphasize that bee venom relieves the functional depression of the adrenal glands in patients, after prolonged exposure to steroid hormones. Therefore, patients who are forced to take hormones for months and years, treatment with bee venom is extremely useful.
The analgesic effect of the bee venom is due to the fact that its administration leads to a decrease in the local inflammatory edema caused by the underlying disease. At the same time, bee venom in therapeutic doses blocks the conduction of excitation along the nerve trunks, creating an analgesic effect which is most pronounced at the site of its application due to the presence of apamin and MSD peptides. This is confirmed by clinical observations during the treatment of inflammatory and degenerative syndromes in diseases of the muscles, blood vessels and nerve trunks. So, for example, joint pain disappears within 18 minutes after stinging in the joint area and returns only after 2-3 days.
Bee venom has a hypo-sensitizing effect, which is used to treat a number of diseases. It refers to non-specific desensitization, which is, reducing the body’s sensitivity to some kind of allergen. This action is aimed at inhibiting the immune processes of sensitization and resembles the mechanism of action of hormones. This is proven by the clinical practice of treating rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis and bronchial asthma.
The effect of bee venom on the immune system depends on the dose of venom intake. E.B. Romanov in his research (1983) showed that large doses of venom cause a depressive effect, and small doses – a stimulating one.
In most people, therapeutic doses of bee venom increase the overall tone of the body, improve sleep, increase efficiency. This fact is well studied in athletes. After the injection of the bee venom, after 30 minutes, their muscular activity increases by 25% and remains at this level for 2 hours.
Bee venom in therapeutic doses has a positive effect on the circulatory system. It stimulates the activity of the heart muscle, increases coronary blood flow. By reducing the nerve impulse conduction along the sympathetic nervous system towards the blood vessels at the level of the ganglia (ganglion-blocking action), the bee venom helps reduce high blood pressure. This is especially effective in the initial stages of hypertension, when the vascular wall is not yet changed (N.M Artemov, 1941, 1958). Bee venom also improves cerebral blood circulation by expanding the brain vessels (B.N. Orlov et al., 1978). When applied locally in therapeutic doses, the bee venom expands the capillaries, improve the local blood circulation and trophy of tissue, reduces pain, increases the local temperature by 2-6° C. These effects are used in the treatment of trophic ulcers, arthritis, and neuropathies.
Bee venom has beneficial effect on the function of the gastrointestinal tract. It reduces the excess secretion and acidity of the stomach, improving the digestive capacity of gastric juice. Small doses of bee venom accelerate and strengthen the evacuation of gastric contents, large doses slow it down and weaken it.
In therapeutic doses, bee venom has a positive effect on the blood system: increases erythropoiesis, hemoglobin, general and local leukocytosis, reduces ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), blood viscosity, increases blood fibrinolytic activity, reduces platelet aggregation (S. M. Omarov, 1978), reduces prothrombin index up to 5-40%. As a result of this effect, peripheral blood indices are improved, the risk of thrombosis is reduced.
Bee venom has a pronounced antibiotic effect, its bactericidal properties affect 216 strains of 17 species of bacteria. Only F-1 fraction of bee venom has bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties. Gram-positive group of bacteria are most sensitive to bee venom. Protei, pyocaneum and Escherichia Coli turned out to be resistant to bee venom. With the help of bee venom I.F. Kononenko (1956) quickly stopped spreading of staphylococcus aureus and diphtheria bacilli. The antibiotic properties of the bee venom are manifested by the fact that in places of stings, even if you do not use disinfectants, a bacterial complication is never observed.
Therapeutic doses of bee venom have a positive effect on metabolic processes, normalizing the indicators of blood proteins, its carbohydrate and electrolyte composition, increasing urine output.
The use of bee venom gives positive results in the treatment of such bronchopulmonary diseases as chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma, but for some patients with asthma bee venom may cause allergic reactions and bronchospasm.
Bee venom provides protection against radiation. This is proved by experiments on mice.
Providing undoubted positive effects in the treatment of many diseases, for some patients, even in therapeutic doses, bee venom can cause an adverse effect. It can manifest itself in a violation of mineral metabolism – sodium retention in tissues and increased excretion of potassium, phosphorus and calcium similar to the action of hormones. In some patients, there is an increase in the number of leukocytes in the blood and a decrease in the percentage of eosinophils, which is also similar to the effect of hormones. In some patients, hemolysis of erythrocytes and a significant decrease in the prothrombin index are observed, sometimes up to 40%.
High doses of bee venom have a melittin caused depressant effect on the cerebral cortex and subcortical structures. Overdose of bee venom or high sensitivity to it is manifested by hyperglycemia, glycosuria, proteinuria, hypokalemia. That is why, during the treatment, urine should be regularly examined for sugar and protein.