Exp Mol Med.  2007 Oct;39(5):603-613.

Bee venom stimulates human melanocyte proliferation, melanogenesis, dendricity and migration

• Jeon S
• Kim NH
• Koo BS
• Lee HJ
• Lee AY

Abstract

Pigmentation may result from melanocyte proliferation, melanogenesis, migration or increases in dendricity. Recently, it has been reported that secreted phospholipase A2(sPLA2) known as a component of bee venom (BV), stimulates melanocyte dendricity and pigmentation. BV has been used clinically to control rheumatoid arthritis and to ameliorate pain via its anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties. Moreover, after treatment with BV, pigmentation around the injection sites was occasionally observed and the pigmentation lasted a few months. However, no study has been done about the effect of BV on melanocytes. Thus, in the present study, we examined the effect of BV on the proliferation, melanogenesis, dendricity and migration in normal human melanocytes and its signal transduction. BV increased the number of melanocytes dose and time dependently through PKA, ERK, and PI3K/Akt activation. The level of cAMP was also increased by BV treatment. Moreover, BV induced melanogenesis through increased tyrosinase expression. Furthermore, BV induced melanocyte dendricity and migration through PLA2activation. Overall, in this study, we demonstrated that BV may have an effect on the melanocyte proliferation, melanogenesis, dendricity and migration through complex signaling pathways in vitro, responsible for the pigmentation. Thus, our study suggests a possibility that BV may be developed as a therapeutic drug for inducing repigmentation in vitiligo skin.

Keyword

bee venoms; cell movement; cell proliferation; melanocytes; melanins; skin pigmentation; vitiligo

MeSH Terms

Animals
Base Sequence
Bee Venoms/*pharmacology
Cell Movement/drug effects
Cell Proliferation/drug effects
Cells, Cultured
Cyclic AMP/metabolism
DNA Primers/genetics
Forskolin/pharmacology
Gene Expression/drug effects
Humans
Melanins/biosynthesis
Melanocytes/cytology/*drug effects/physiology
Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor/biosynthesis/genetics
Monophenol Monooxygenase/biosynthesis/genetics
Signal Transduction/drug effects