Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the common cancers in women around the world, and metastasis potential of cancer is the main shortcoming for a high rate of survival. Apitherapy as an alternative medicine is promised to deal with cancer. Bee venom and its major component, melittin, are known to be effective for cytotoxicity in cancer cells. In this study, the expression profiles of three anti-metastatic genes including _BRMS1_,_ DRG1_ and _KAI1/CD82 _were revealed for the first time after bee venom and melittin treatment, and two pro-metastatic genes including _EGFR_ and _WNT7B_ in metastatic breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) were also examined while comparing to normal breast epithelial cells (MCF10A). Selective cytotoxicity of bee venom and melittin were higher compared to cisplatin. Melittin at 0.5 µg/ml was effective at 24h for anti-metastatic function whereas 4 µg/ml was significant in treatments with bee venom or cisplatin. Melittin induced overexpression of _BRMS1_ and _DRG1_, however bee venom induced _DRG1_ and _KAI1/CD82 _expression in breast cancer cells. _WNT7B_ was downregulated in bee venom-treated breast cancer cells. These results suggest that both bee venom and melittin may act via upregulation of some anti-metastatic genes (_BRMS1_, _DRG1_ and _KAI1/CD82)_, and down-regulation of a pro-metastatic gene, _WNT7B_.