BEE VENOM TREATMENT FOR ALOPECIA AREATA
Alopecia Areata is an organ-specific autoimmune process, which destroys hair follicles. The exact causes of the occurrence of Alopecia Areata are still not known. It is commonly said that emotional stress or a certain infection triggers a loss of hair. It has been found that it especially affects people, belonging to the age bracket between 20 and 50 years of age. There is no gender discrimination or generalization; it can hit both men and women of that age group.
In the beginning, bald spots start appearing that are not more than 2 cm or 3 cm in size, later the spots can grow into big patches within a few weeks or month. In some cases, these spots vanish themselves and then appear again. Nearly 90% of the people experience Alopecia Areata at some point, which doesn't lead to a complete hair loss. These are small bald spots that manifest periodically. |
A Case of Alopecia Areata Treated with Bee Venom and Carthami Flos Herbal Acupuncture
Alopecia Areata is one of those most common diseases that are difficult to address in terms of medical management. This clinical study was devised to examine the cumulative effect of BV and Carthami Flos (herbal acupuncture).
It is well known that the medical management of Alopecia Areata is somewhat difficult. In light of this study, the overall effect of honey bee venom was examined. Along with bee venom, another herbal acupuncture carthami flos was also studied.
According to the method adopted, the patient was administered bee venom, carthami-flos, and general acupuncture. Carthami Flos was injected according to the intravenous method, directly into the place of injury. Its effect on the area of alopecia areata was evaluated closely.
The subject was given bee venom, carthami flos, and general acupuncture. Carthami flos was injected directly into the lesion. Its involvement in plaque was checked keeping in view effect on the alopecia areata. After a continuous treatment of 5 months, it was found that new terminal hair had replaced the lesion.
It was found that after 5 months of regular treatment, new hair started appearing on the spot of the injury. It is a clear indication that bee venom plus carthami flos acupuncture has a positive effect on the alopecia areata. But this study is not certainly the final word. Further clinical test cycles are required to determine the accurate dosage and method for treating alopecia areata with bee venom and carthami flos.
There was an evident effect on the alopecia areata as the score increased from 0 to 3 points. This result showed that BV and carthami flos has a positive effect on the alopecia areata. Still, a more detailed clinical study is required to prove the combined effects of BV and carthami flos for dealing with symptoms of alopecia areata.
Bee Venom Promotes Hair Growth in Association with Inhibiting 5α-Reductase Expression
Alopecia is a common issue that can hit people of any age group. According to recent clinical studies, it has been proved to a great extent that bee venom helps in treating: neuralgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.
To conduct this study, bee venom (0.001%, 0.005%, and 0.01%) and minoxidil (2%) were used on female mice for 19 days. All those factors that contribute to hair growth were examined closely through Western blot analysis and quantitative real-time PCR. Human dermal papilla cells and mice skins were used during the process.
It was observed that bee venom supported the growth of new hair and exhibited a transition from anagen to catagen phase. During both of the phases, the growth of hair depended on the dose and its administration.
Explaining furthermore, the bee venom repressed expression of SRD5A2 that encodes type-II 5α-Reductase. It plays an important role in converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. The proliferation of growth factors (fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and insulin growth factor 1 receptor) stimulated by the presence of hDPCs in bee venom treated subjects were compared with the control group. It was found that bee venom promotes the growth of hair, as it is a potent 5α-Reductase inhibitor.
Acupuncture for Treating Alopecia Areata: A Protocol of Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials: Figure 1
Acupuncture technique is mostly used in dermatology to fix different skin disorders. Though, there is no valued evidence available to support the potential benefits of acupuncture for treating alopecia areata.
13 different databases were searched right from their start. These included 6 Korean medical databases (Koreamed and Korean National Assembly Library, Research Information Sharing Service, The Town Society of Science Technology, DBPIA, Korean studies Information Service System), 3 Chinese databases (Wanfang Database, Chongging VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) And China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database) the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, AMED and PubMed.
Only the randomized clinical trials that made use of acupuncture for treating alopecia areata were considered. Participants involved in the clinical trials were free of any limitations related to age, sex, and causes. According to the method adopted, the protocol of this extensively systematic review was registered on PROSPERO bearing registration number CRD42015020397. It was also decided that the review will be carried out and reported following the guidelines provided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).
The primary outcome measures that will be considered are the rate of hair loss, the response rate of acupuncture and hair regrowth. In the same manner, the secondary outcome measures that will be considered are adverse events, quality of life and satisfaction with the appearance of hair. The research strategy will contain alopecia areata and acupuncture as the main keywords.
According to the protocol adopted for this systematic review, it will help generate a detailed summary based on the evidence and effectiveness of acupuncture for treating alopecia areata. Different issues related to practitioner binding, no inertness of sham acupuncture and acupuncture as the complex intervention will be discussed comprehensively. This review will help practitioners and patients in the field of complementary and traditional medicine.
Potential Therapeutic Applications of Bee Venom on Skin Disease and Its Mechanisms: A Literature Review
Our skin is the largest organ of our body. It is greatly affected by inflammatory, viral and bacterial diseases, and even cancer. Though skin diseases like psoriasis, dermatitis, atopic and acne are not life-threatening, they disturb the normal appearance. Conventional medicines like antimicrobial and corticosteroid drugs are normally used to treat infectious and inflammatory skin diseases.
But there are many side effects associated with these therapies, especially when used for a long period. That is the reason that several researchers are now finding alternative treatment options to manage these skin disorders. Natural sources are being explored and evaluated to minimize any sort of side effects. Bee venom is one of the top choices for carrying out clinical studies. The reason being, it exhibits anticancer, antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fibrotic, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties.
The therapeutic application of bee venom in different skin conditions like vitiligo, wrinkles, wounds, psoriasis, photo-aging, morphea, melanoma, atopic dermatitis, alopecia, and acne needs to be studied carefully.
Bee venom, produced by honey bees is one of the well-known natural venoms. Bee venom has a unique set of chemicals like lysophospholipase, phosphomonoesterase, hyaluronidase, phospholipase, MCD peptide, adolapin, apamine, and melittin. There are also amines like norepinephrine, dopamine, and histamine. Bee venom has been used for a long time as an effective therapeutic substance. In some cases, extracted and purified form of bee venom is administered with a syringe. But generally, it is injected directly with a bee sting.
It has been found that BV helps in suppressing inflammation and reducing pain in musculoskeletal disorders like lumbar pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Due to its positive therapeutic effects, it is now being used to treat neurological disorders also like: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and chronic neuralgia. Several reviews have supported the therapeutic value of bee venom, but not a single review has placed focus on the direct effect of bee venom on different skin diseases. But in this review, you will find the summary of the application of bee venom in Alopecia and its potential therapeutic mechanism.
To support the review, a clinical study has been carried out in two different categories – Vivo study and vitro study. Therapeutic application of bee venom has been examined in different skin diseases: vitiligo, wrinkles, wounds, psoriasis, photo-aging, morphea, melanoma, atopic dermatitis, alopecia, and acne. The main purpose of this study is to help researchers develop a proper follow-up study, in the light of knowledge present related to bee venom clinical and experimental reports. Here Alopecia will be discussed.
The therapeutic effect of bee venom in Alopecia
Having healthy hair plays an important role in defining a person's look. In the same manner, hair loss can negatively affect self-confidence and overall look. The most obvious reason for hair loss is defined as genetic predisposition. Several specialists also believe that stress can lead to hair loss in young men and women. Other than genetic predisposition and stress, certain scalp diseases can also lead to hair loss. A recent study acclaimed that nearly 74% of subjects showed symptoms of alopecia due to inflammatory disorders like contact and atopic dermatitis. And nearly 25.5% of cases showed signs of some sort of mental illness.
According to Vivo Study
The preventive effects of bee venom on patients having alopecia was investigated by Part et al. clinical examination was carried out by administering minoxidil (2%) or bee venom to the dorsal surface of the mice for exact 19 days. DEX (dexamethasone) was used to induce the catagen in mice.
It was found that bee venom resulted in the growth of hair in mice. This process was done by increasing KGF (keratinocyte growth factor) that helps stimulate follicular proliferation and decreasing 5α-reductase. What happened was that 5α-reductase helped, enzymatically catalyze the transformation of testosterone into DHT that possesses higher affinity against the androgen receptors. That eventually led to hair loss as the hair follicles started minimizing.
It is to be noted that dutasteride and finasteride, are two most commonly used agents for treating hair loss. As they are based on obstructing 5α-reductase, they can lead to severe complications including gynecomastia, depression and sexual dysfunction. As a result, the treatment is discontinued at one stage.
In this clinical study, no cytotoxicity, irritation, erythema, and edema were observed after administering bee venom. So the results suggest that bee venom can be safely used to promote the growth of hair.
According to Vitro Study
The overall health of hair depends on the duration or cycle of the anagen phase. And at any time, hair that is in telogen, catagen and anagen phase accounts of 9%, 1%, and 90% respectively. For carrying out vitro studies, hDPCs DEX-stimulated human dermal papilla cells were used that showed bee venom helped upregulate growth factors that included IGF-1, VEGF, FGF2, and FGF7. Bee venom also elevates the proliferation of hDPCs that along with a rise in growth factors keeps hair in the anagen stage for an extended period.
Hence, hair growth is encouraged in hDPCs.
Without any doubt, bee venom possesses the potential to help contribute towards hair growth. It can be actively used to treat hair loss, as it controls the progression of the catagen phase and promotes hair growth factors.
Several studies were carried out apart from alopecia, to determine the effect of bee venom on different skin diseases. In the end, no serious effects were registered. But it cannot be deemed that bee venom is safe. As it can cause anaphylaxis even in those subjects, who have tested negative for the bee venom skin test. As anaphylaxis can surface in any sort of condition, it is advised to have an emergency kit by side to control its symptoms.
It is important to monitor the condition of a patient for nearly 30 minutes after administering bee venom. This period has been allotted in the light of a retrospective clinical study that suggested the meantime for the onset of anaphylaxis to be 21.75 minutes exactly after injecting bee venom therapy. In certain conditions, elevated levels of basal serum tryptase could also lead to the occurrence of anaphylaxis.
According to this statement, the physiological state of any specific body, while administering bee venom, plays an important role in determining the occurrence of anaphylaxis. Analyzing the level of safety of bee venom treatment is crucial for determining the appropriate value of bee venom required as a therapeutic agent. It is highly hoped that extensive clinical studies will be carried out in the future to prevent anaphylaxis from occurring after administering bee venom.
Sources:
A Case of Alopecia Areata Treated with Bee Venom and Carthami Flos Herbal Acupuncture
Bee Venom Promotes Hair Growth in Association with Inhibiting 5α-Reductase Expression
Acupuncture for Treating Alopecia Areata: A Protocol of Systematic Review of Randomised Clinical Trials: Figure 1
Potential Therapeutic Applications of Bee Venom on Skin Disease and Its Mechanisms: A Literature Review
A Case of Alopecia Areata Treated with Bee Venom and Carthami Flos Herbal Acupuncture
Bee Venom Promotes Hair Growth in Association with Inhibiting 5α-Reductase Expression
Acupuncture for Treating Alopecia Areata: A Protocol of Systematic Review of Randomised Clinical Trials: Figure 1
Potential Therapeutic Applications of Bee Venom on Skin Disease and Its Mechanisms: A Literature Review