Therapeutic Effects of Apamin as a Bee Venom Component for Non-Neoplastic Disease

• Published in: Toxins Vol. 12; no. 3; p. 195
• Main Authors: Gu, Hyemin, Han, Sang Mi, Park, Kwan-Kyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 19.03.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Amino acids; apamin; Apamin - isolation & purification; Apamin - therapeutic use; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Arthritis; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis - drug therapy; Atherosclerosis - metabolism; Bee Venoms - chemistry; Bees; Bonding strength; Calcium channels; Calcium ions; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cell adhesion & migration; Central nervous system; Central Nervous System - drug effects; Central Nervous System - pathology; Central nervous system diseases; Cholesterol; component of bee venom; Crosslinking; Cytochrome; Cytokines; Cytokines - antagonists & inhibitors; Degranulation; Disease; Disulfide bonds; Dopamine; Fibrosis; Gene expression; Growth factors; Health aspects; Heart failure; Humans; Lipids; Liver Cirrhosis - drug therapy; Liver Cirrhosis - pathology; Multiple sclerosis; Neurotoxic agents; Neurotoxins; Peptides; Pharmacology; Physiological aspects; Potassium channels (calcium-gated); Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated - antagonists & inhibitors; Review; Signal transduction; sk channels; Smooth muscle; Toxins; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Venom; Venoms; South Korea; SK channels; Component of bee venom; apamin
• ISSN: 2072-6651; 2072-6651
• DOI: 10.3390/toxins12030195

Bee venom is a natural toxin produced by honeybees and plays an important role in defending bee colonies. Bee venom has several kinds of peptides, including melittin, apamin, adolapamine, and mast cell degranulation peptides. Apamin accounts for about 2%-3% dry weight of bee venom and is a peptide neurotoxin that contains 18 amino acid residues that are tightly crosslinked by two disulfide bonds. It is well known for its pharmacological functions, which irreversibly block Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels. Apamin regulates gene expression in various signal transduction pathways involved in cell development. The aim of this study was to review the current understanding of apamin in the treatment of apoptosis, fibrosis, and central nervous system diseases, which are the pathological processes of various diseases. Apamin's potential therapeutic and pharmacological applications are also discussed.