Bee Venom Therapy May Help Treat ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Bee Venom in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Model
FASEB J, 2010 24:751.2

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), paralyzing disorder is characterized by the progressive degeneration and death of motor neurons occurring both as a sporadic and a familial disease.

Mutant SOD1(mtSOD1) induces vulnerability of motor neurons through protein misfolding, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative damage, cytoskeletal abnormalities and defective axonal transport, excitotoxicity, inadequate growth factor signaling, and neuro inflammation.

Bee venom (BV) known as an Oriental medicine has been reported the evidence in the literature indicated that BV exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects on inflammatory reactions in arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

The purpose of the present study is to determine whether acupuncture with BV is able to suppress the motor neuron loss and microglial cell action in hG93ASOD1 mouse commonly used model for inherited ALS. BV was treated at the ‘ZuSanLi’ (ST36) acupuncture point in hSODG93A animal model.

BV treated animals showed the decrease of micro cell activity and the expression level of phospho-p38MAPK in spinal cord and brain stem in mutant hSOD1 transgenic mice.

Interestingly, BV acupuncture in symptomatic ALS animals improved motor activity and extended survival compared to the control group. Our research suggests a potential functional link between BV and anti-neuroinflammation in ALS animal model.