Bee Venom for the Treatment of Parkinson Disease

Great news for advocates of BVT and sufferers of Parkinsons...
C'est curieux ça va passer en France... Happy Thérapie pour tous








Bee Venom for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease (MIREILLE)
ClinicalTrials.gov



This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.

 
Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris 
Information provided by: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris 
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01341431 
Official Title: Evaluation of the Symptomatic and Neuroprotective Effects of Bee Venom for the Treatment of Parkinson Disease

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of repeated (monthly) injections of bee venom on motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease over a period of one year, also the potential effects of this treatment on disease progression compared to placebo (saline injections)…

Royal Jelly Boosts Metabolism

Specific Hydroxy Fatty Acids in Royal Jelly Activate TRPA1
J Agric Food Chem, 2011 Feb 24

This is the first report of TRPA1 activation by fatty acids. 

Activation of TRPA1 and TRPV1 induces thermogenesis and energy expenditure enhancement. 

In this study, we searched for novel agonists of TRPA1 and TRPV1 from a nonpungent food, royal jelly (RJ). 

We measured the activation of human TRPA1 and TRPV1 by RJ extracts and found that the hexane extract contains TRPA1 agonists. The main functional compounds in the hexane extract were trans-10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (HDEA) and 10-hydroxydecanoic acid (HDAA). These are characteristic fatty acids of RJ. 

Their EC(50) values were about 1,000 times larger than that of AITC, and their maximal responses were equal. They activated TRPA1 more strongly than TRPV1. Their EC(50) values for TRPV1 were 2 times larger, and the maximal response was less than half of that for TRPA1. 

Next, we studied the potencies of other lipid components for both receptors. Most of them have higher affinity to TRPA1 than TRPV1. Among them, dicarboxylic acids showed equal efficacy for both receptors, but those are present in only small amounts in RJ. 

We concluded that the main function of RJ is TRPA1 activation by HDEA and HDAA, the major components of the RJ lipid fraction.

Propolis Bioflavonoid Shows Anti-Cancer Activity

Effect of Propolis and Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) on NFκB Activation by HTLV-1 Tax

Antiviral Research, Article in Press

HTLV-1 is the etiological agent of an aggressive malignancy of the CD4+ T-cells, adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and other sever clinical disorders. The viral Tax protein is a key factor in HTLV-1 pathogenicity. A major part of Tax oncogenic potential is accounted for by its capacity of inducing the transcriptional activity of the NFκB factors, which regulate the expression of numerous cellular genes. 

Propolis (PE), a natural product produced by honeybees, has been used for long time in folk medicine. One of PE active components, caffeic acid phenylethyl ester (CAPE), was well characterized and found to be a potent inhibitor of NFκB activation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to pursue the possibility of blocking Tax oncogenic effects by treatment with these natural products. 

Human T-cell lines were used in this study since these cells are the main targets of HTLV-1 infections. We tried to determine which step of Tax-induced NFκB activation is blocked by these products. 

Our results showed that both tested products substantially inhibited activation of NFκB-dependent promoter by Tax. However, only PE could efficiently inhibit also the Tax-induced activation of SRF- and CREB- dependent promoters. 

Our results showed also that PE and CAPE strongly prevented both Tax binding to IκBα and its induced degradation by Tax. However, both products did not interfere in the nuclear transport of Tax or NFκB proteins.

Burnt dog is treated with honey

A jar of local honey in the kitchen does more than sweeten tea or toasts, but works well on burns - skip the ice, aloe vera or anything else. It really works 

BBC NEWS|

A dog which was pulled from a house fire in Cornwall is being treated with honey pads to help heal her wounds.

Lady, the alsatian was found stuck under burning ceiling tiles after the fire at her owner's home near Stithians.

The treatment of eight-year-old dog, who suffered severe burns down one side and on her back, includes pads impregnated with manuka honey.

Owner Cyril Bond, 77, said her condition had improved because of the treatment.

'Very impressed'

Lady was trapped for two hours before fireman rescued her from the burning building.

Mr Bond said he was given the good news that she survived after he was taken to hospital.

He said: "One of the nurses came over and said the police had been on the phone to say the fire brigade got her out and she was on oxygen."

She is thought to have survived because she found an air pocket.

As part of her treatment, which has been ongoing for several months, her bandages which contain honey-coated dressings, are replaced several times a week.

Vet Amanda Manley, who works at the Cornwall Animal Hospital, said she believed the honey had greatly improved Lady's condition.

"I'd like to say it's all down to the honey, but to make a proper judgement you need to have a scientific control.

"But I'm very impressed and I'd use it again in this situation."

The honey is produced by bees feeding on the Manuka bush, which mainly found in New Zealand.

Manuka dressings for wounds were licensed for use in NHS hospitals in 2004.

Honey, Bee Pollen Effective in Preventing Postoperative Intraabdominal Adhesions

though conducted on rats, the effects are thought to be a result of the products antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties...

The Effect of Oral Honey and Pollen on Postoperative Intraabdominal Adhesions
Turk J Gastroenterol, 2011 Feb;22(1):65-72

Background/aims: We evaluated the effect of oral usage of honey and pollen, either separately or together, on postoperative intraabdominal adhesions. 

Methods: Forty rats were randomly separated into 4 groups of 10 rats each. Abrasion was performed on the cecum, and a patch of peritoneum located opposite to the cecal abrasion was completely dissected. Group 1 rats received no treatment; Group 2 rats received 4 g/kg/day honey; Group 3 rats received 4 g/kg/day pollen; and Group 4 rats received 4 g/kg/day honey and pollen mixed in equal amounts, in addition to the standard feeding for postoperative 21 days. All the rats were sacrificed on the 21st day. 

Following the adhesion scoring, tissue specimens of the peritoneum and bowel were subjected to histopathological investigation. The tissue and blood specimens were also taken for biochemical analysis to investigate the antioxidant capacity. 

Results: Adhesion scores were significantly different between the control and other groups. No dense adhesion was observed in the treatment groups. Tissue malondialdehyde levels were significantly different between the control and honey and honey+pollen groups. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione-peroxidase levels were significantly different between the control and other groups. Catalase levels were different between the control and honey groups. Plasma antioxidant levels were different between the control and other groups. The pathological scores for fibrosis and inflammation were significantly different between the control and other groups. 

Conclusions: Honey and pollen were found to be effective in preventing postoperative intraabdominal adhesions, and these effects were thought to be a result of their antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Propolis Boost Immune Response

confirmed yet again that propolis boosts the immune system but this time stating 'on a cellular level'...

Propolis Boost Immune Response:

Cell Immunol, 2011 Apr 9
"Two experiments were carried out. In immune response test, the immune enhancement of propolis, oilemulsion and aluminium salt were compared in guinea pig vaccinated with inactivated porcine parvovirus (PPV) vaccine.
The result showed that three adjuvants could enhance antibody titer, T lymphocyte proliferation, IL-2 and IL-4 secretion of splenic lymphocyte. The action of propolis was similar to that of oilemulsion and superior to that of aluminium salt, especially in early period of vaccination propolis could accelerate antibody production.


In immune protection test, the effects of three adjuvants on PPV infection were compared in guinea pig vaccinated with PPV vaccine then challenged with PPV. The result showed that propolis and oilemulsion could enhance the antibody titer, IL-2 and IL-4 content in serum and decrease the PPV content in blood and viscera. In the effect of improving cellular immune response, the propolis was the best.

These results indicated that propolis possessed better immune enhancement and would be exploited into a effective adjuvant of inactivated vaccine."

Coniferous, Thyme Honeys Show Highest Antibacterial Activity

general rule of thumb, the darker the honey, the more effective its antibacterial and antioxidant activity. Notice the effect on Staphylococcus aureus...

Antibacterial Activity of Different Honeys Against Pathogenic Bacteria

Anaerobe, Article in Press

To study the antimicrobial activity of honey, 60 samples of various botanical origin were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against 16 clinical pathogens and their respective reference strains. The microbiological quality of honeys and the antibiotic susceptibility of the various isolates were also examined.

The bioassay applied for determining the antimicrobial effect employs the well-agar diffusion method and the estimation of minimum active dilution which produces a 1 mm diameter inhibition zone.

All honey samples, despite their origin (coniferous, citrus, thyme or polyfloral), showed antibacterial activity against the pathogenic and their respective reference strains at variable levels.

Coniferous and thyme honeys showed the highest activity with an average minimum dilution of 17.4 and 19.2% (w/v) followed by citrus and polyfloral honeys with 20.8 and 23.8% respectively. Clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp.

Enterica, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus cereus and B. subtilis were proven to be up to 60% more resistant than their equal reference strains thus emphasizing the variability in the antibacterial effect of honey and the need for further research.