Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that can be induced by a variety of stimulating factors. It is now generally believed that psoriasis is a polygenic genetic disease caused by the interaction of various factors such as genetic factors, immune dysfunction, infectious factors, metabolic disorders, endocrine factors, mental factors and external environmental factors, and its pathophysiological mechanism is mainly the abnormality of epidermal proliferation and differentiation and the activation of the immune system, and the exploration and research on the pathogenesis of psoriasis has gone through three periods namely “keratin-forming cells a T cells a natural immunity”.
Bee acupuncture is a traditional natural therapy that has been applied in China for more than 2000 years. It is currently used clinically for the treatment of immune-related diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, herpes zoster, vitiligo, etc.
1.The bee targets T cells for immunomodulatory research
T lymphocytes play a very important role in psoriasis. t lymphocytes are not only the immune active cells in psoriasis, but also the inflammatory cells. t suppressor cells and t helper cells are both involved in the immune-inflammatory response in psoriasis.
Bee acupuncture combines the effects of acupuncture, medicine and moxibustion, and may involve a bidirectional regulatory effect on multisystem function. Acupuncture can modulate immune cell activity by regulating endogenous opioid peptides using their receptor-mediated pathways, and can achieve therapeutic effects by regulating the state of cellular/humoral immune homeostasis, thereby suppressing the relatively active cellular immunity in immunity. Besides the short needle stimulation of bee stings, the main therapeutic effect of bee acupuncture is the pharmacological effect of bee venom. Bee venom is a highly complex mixture of pharmacology and biological activity, containing mainly Melitin (about 50%), followed by Apamin, which is a polymeric compound containing toxic protein peptides (including enzymes) and amino acids; and a variety of acids (anthranilic acid, hydrochloric acid, orthophosphoric acid, etc.), trace elements (sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, etc.), and a variety of biological enzymes (hyaluronate phosphatase A, etc.). The peptides in bee venom may play a role in the immune regulation of the body, and may stimulate the function of the pituitary and adrenal system to increase the cortisol hormone content in the blood circulation significantly and permanently, thus affecting the immune function of the body.
2.Research on the anti-tumor effect of bee needle
A large number of studies have shown that the number of cell proliferation, cell senescence and apoptosis in the skin lesions of psoriasis patients are all increased compared with normal human skin. In recent years, new progress has been made in the study of the anti-tumor mechanism of bee venom and its main component, bee toxin. Numerous studies have found that the anti-tumor biological activity of bee venom and bee toxin is achieved by inducing apoptosis in tumor cells. It is generally believed that bee toxin causes cellular mitochondrial membrane dissolution, which inhibits normal cellular respiration, thus the process of oxidative phosphorylation in tumor tissues is inhibited and oxidative function is disrupted, leading to tumor tissue growth inhibition
3.Research on anti-angiogenesis of bee needles
Angiogenesis is a key part in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Studies have shown that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-8, angiopoietin, tumor necrosis factor-α and transforming growth factor-β play an important role in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. The growth and metastasis of primary tumors are dependent on neovascularization of preexisting vessels, and it was proposed as early as 1939 and 1945 that tumors can induce host neovascularization. 1971 Folkman first proposed the hypothesis that after a certain level of solid tumor growth (usually 1 to 2 mm3), its further growth is dependent on neovascularization for the continuous supply of Therefore, inhibition of tumor angiogenesis can be an important way to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. In a study on the effect of bee toxin on the angiogenesis of transplanted tumors in nude mice with osteosarcoma UMR-106 cells, it was demonstrated that the positive expression rate of VEGF and HIF-1α protein was reduced in the bee toxin treatment group, and the positive rate of CD105 was also detected, indicating that the number of neovascularization was significantly reduced.
4. Study on the improvement of microcirculation by bee acupuncture
The microcirculation of psoriasis patients is altered in two main aspects compared with normal subjects: first, the change of vascular morphology. In the skin lesions, the vascular loops within the dermal papillae can be seen with microcirculation microscopy, and the tops are twisted and coiled in a doughnut shape. The second is the alteration of blood flow. Due to the abnormal changes in vascular morphology and the increase in whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, fibrinogen content and platelet aggregation function, blood flow tends to be significantly slower than normal and granular (normal people have a linear flow). Some studies have shown that the active ingredients of bee venom have the effect of improving mesenteric microcirculation disorders. After microcirculatory disturbance, 2 ml of bee venom active ingredient (0.117 g/L) was injected quietly, which resulted in smooth microvascular perfusion and loosening of the edges of the clumped thrombus, changing it into a mud-like to granular linear flow and linear flow. The bee venom thrombolysis showed a more significant difference than the three parameters before embolization, and the active ingredients of bee venom showed significant improvement of microcirculatory disorders and thrombolysis.
In addition, the acupuncture and moxibustion treatments in bee acupuncture therapy can act directly on the local vascular system to inhibit the increase of vascular permeability in the inflammatory process, thus reducing the local infiltration of inflammatory substances. Meanwhile, various acupuncture methods, especially moxibustion, can lead to changes in local hemodynamics, accelerate local blood flow, directly reduce the chance of adhesion between leukocytes and vascular endothelial cells, and reduce the chemotaxis of inflammatory cells moving outside the blood vessels, thus achieving the purpose of improving local skin lesions.
5.The research of bee targeting neuroendocrine regulation
Recent studies have found that neuropeptides and sensory nerves play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and psycho-psychological stress can promote or aggravate psoriasis.Farber et al. proposed the role of neuropeptides in the pathogenesis of psoriasis through research, and believed that endogenous or exogenous stimulation can act on the corresponding cortical areas of the brain, leading to changes in the level of neuropeptides, thus activating the level of neuropeptides in other systems changes in other systems. Exogenous stimulation can also cause the reverse release of neuropeptides from sensory nerve endings in the skin, which eventually induces neurogenic inflammation.
The specific effects of bee venom on nerves are summarized as follows.
(1) Stimulating the activity of quiet, resting nerve cells to bring them into working condition.
(2) Eliminating and improving microcirculatory disorders in the blood supply to nerve cells.
(3) Elimination of the inflammatory state of nerve cells.
(4) restoring the structural integrity of nerve fibers and allowing their functional reproduction
(5) Stimulating the proliferation of nerve fiber branches, the increase of nerve synapses, and the establishment and expansion of nerve reflexes
(6) Regulating the increase and balance of neurotransmitter secretion and promoting the perfection and coordination of nerve functions.
(7) The blockage of nerve conduction by bee venom has anesthetic and analgesic effects in the ganglion.
Psoriasis is a recurring, persistent and intractable skin disease. Chinese medicine has accumulated rich clinical experience in the treatment of psoriasis, with a unique theoretical system, rich methods, remarkable efficacy, small side effects and low recurrence rate. Bee acupuncture therapy is a traditional natural therapy, which has three kinds of effects: acupuncture, medicine and moxibustion, and may involve a two-way regulating effect on the function of multiple systems, with outstanding efficacy in the treatment of psoriasis.