Objective : This study was designed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of bee venom on melanoma in C57BL mice.
Materials and Methods : For the induction of melanoma, C57BL mice were treated by DMBA(7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene). Each group of C57BL mouse was treated with DMBA 50㎍, 75㎍, 100㎍ respectively once a week for 15 weeks. Tumor generation in each group of 10 mice was observed. Cumulative curves were showed in the density and frequency of skin tumor generation. To know the effects of pre-treatment of bee venom on tumor generation by DMBA treatment(frequency of tumor generation), Each group of C57BL mouse was pretreated and treated with bee venom 5㎕, 25㎕, 50㎕respectively once a week for 3 weeks, whereafter each mouse was treated with DMBA 100㎍ once a week for 15 weeks.
Results and Conclusion
(1) There was chemotherapeutic effect, but not chemopreventive effect.
(2) Cpp32 activity was increased by 50㎕ bee venom treatment.
(3) Bee venom treatment inhibited expression of cell-cycle regulating, growth-promoting genes such as c-Jun, c-Fos, and Cyclin Dl, and increased tumor suppressors p53 and p21/Wafl. (4) Bee venom treatment activated expression of a representative apoptosis-inducing gene Bax
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