Bee venom acupuncture in different neurological illness aanndd iittss iimmmmuunnee mmoodduullaattiioonn ACKNOWLEDGMENTS MMOONNAA MMOOSSTTAAFFAA FFAARRIIDD 1 Introduction 2 Bee venom have been widely used in Oriental medicine to relieve pain and to treat inflammatory diseases. Other potential bee venom-related treatments are currently under investigation. 3 In this review, attention will be focused on the most recent and innovative therapeutic aapppplliiccaattiioonnss ooff tthhee bbeeee vveennoomm iinn ssoommee neurological illness. 4 Bee Venom Components & Mode Of Action 5 The amount of bee venom protein released in a ssttiinngg iiss vvaarriiaabbllee,, rraannggiinngg bbeettwweeeenn 5500 ttoo 114400 micrograms. 6 Enzymes, Proteins and peptides are the main components including phospholipases, hyaluronidase, serotonin, histamine, dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline, melittin, apamin, adolapin and mast cell degranulating (MCD) peptide. 7 MELETTIN Approximately 50% of honey bee venom is comprised of melettin, which has a profound neuro-hormonal and immunological effect on the body. (cid:1) It primarily stimulates the hypothalamus in the brain to release corticotropin releasing hormone which triggers the pituitary gland to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which stimulate the adrenal cortex to reproduces cortisol. 8 Cortisol is:- ◦ A potent anti-inflammatory, ◦ stimulates gluconeogenesis, ◦ activates anti-stress pathways. (cid:1) Melittin also stabilizes lysosomal cell membrane, protecting against inflammation and slows the production of interleukin-1 which has been correlated to both arthritic pain and inflammation. 9 Apamin Apamin is an 18 amino acid peptide neurotoxin. Dry bee venom consists of 2-3% of apamin. It selectively blocks Small conductance calcium-activated potassium channels ( SK channels) , a type of Ca2+ activated K+ channel expressed in the central nervous system. 10