Therapeutic effects of bee venom on high fat diet induced obesity and behavioral changes

This study aimed to explore the potential effects of bee venom (BV) and cold exposure (CE) on behavioral and physiological alterations induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in rats. Three-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to seven groups: Control, CE, BV, HFD, HFD+CE, HFD+BV and HFD+CE+BV. Anxiety- and depression-like behaviors were evaluated using the open field, elevated plus maze and forced swim tests. HFD increased anxiety and depression like behaviors, whereas BV administration alleviated these alterations. HFD also elevated plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, glucose, insulin and leptin levels while reducing HDL concentrations. BV treatment improved these metabolic parameters. Histological analysis revealed enlarged adipocyte diameters in both white (WAT) and brown (BAT) adipose tissues in HFD-fed rats, which were reduced following BV administration. Moreover, BV enhanced UCP-1 gene expression in BAT and WAT, particularly under CE conditions, suggesting increased thermogenic activity. These findings indicate that BV may exert beneficial effects on HFD-induced metabolic dysfunctions and behavioural alterations, possibly through modulation of adipose tissue function and thermogenesis. The combination of BV and CE may represent a potential therapeutic approach for managing obesity associated physiological and behavioral disorders.