Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of taping therapy on recovery of behavioral symptoms and neural excitability of the lumbar spinal cord in rat model for ankle sprain. Methods : Adult Sprague-Dawley rats was used and divided into 3 experimental groups: normal group(n=6), ankle sprain(n=6), and ankle sprain with taping treatment(n=6). In order to induce ankle sprain the right ankle joint was injured with 4~5 repetitive over-flexions and over-extensions manually. The severity of joint pain was evaluated by measuring foot weight bearing force ratio(FWBRF) of the hind limb and the injury-induced edema formation by diameter of the joint following ankle sprain. The changes of neural excitability in the lumbar spinal cord was tested by observation of cFos protein expression, a metabolic marker for neural excitation. Results : Severity of ankle injury induced in this experiment coincided with Grade 1 ankle sprain. Compared with ankle sprain group, ankle sprain＋taping showed a significant reductions of joint pain as well as of edema formation at the ankle joint following ankle sprain. There was significant upregulation of cFos-immunoreactive neurons in the lumbar spinal cord 24 hours after ankle sprain. In contrast, taping therapy resulted in significant inhibition of cFos-immunoreactive neurons in the lumbar spinal cord. Conclusions : Collectively, these results suggest that taping therapy may be an alternative therapeutic intervention for symptom recovery of the mild ankle sprain.

Objectives : The aim of this study is to review the methodology of clinical trials conducted with the acupuncture and moxibustion treatment on functional dyspepsia. Methods : We searched four international databases and three Korean databases including English, Korean and Chinese, through March 2016 for randomized controlled trials(RCT) and non-randomized case-control trials(CCT) that evaluated the effects of the acupuncture and moxibustion on functional dyspepsia. We abstracted the designs of the trials and the method of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment according to the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture. Results : A total 117 papers were reviewed. The 106 studies were conducted in China. There were 111 RCTs(95%), and 6 CCTs(5%). Sixty eight studies(59%) were conducted with the manual acupuncture, 29 studies of electro-acupuncture(25%), 11 studies of moxibustion(9%), 5 studies of acupoints embedding therapy(4%), 4 studies of acupoint injection therapy(3%) were conducted. ST36, CV12, ST25 were most frequently used for acupoints to treat functional dyspepsia. In 59 studies(50%), western medication was used in the control group, and the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion were evaluated with the symptoms in most studies. Conclusions : These results suggest that it is necessary to develop more detailed reporting standards about acupuncture and moxibustion treatment method as the method of acupuncture and moxibustion is getting more diverse, and more objective tools are needed in evaluating functional dyspepsia.

Objectives : The acupuncture about acupoint affects the production of NO, NOS, and NE.Local action of acupuncture is important for acupuncture treatment. To prove this, the revelation degree of NO, NOS, and NE was observed by stimulating the acupuncture at the connecting point of SP4, KI4, and LR5 in the depths of Superficial layer, Middle layer and Deep layer. Methods : Needles were inserted into rats, on each right and left sides of the connecting point, SP4, KI4 and LR5 acupoints which are the stream points of the foot meridian. After insertion, needles were retained for three minutes. After the retention, rat was sacrificed via cardiac puncture, and tissues of each SP4, KI4 and LR5 point near meridian vessel was extracted to examine the changes in the expression of NO, NOS and NE. Results : In terms of the effect in NO production, there was significant increase in the Superficial layer, Middle layer and Deep layer at KI4. In terms of the effect in NE production, there was significant decrease in the Superficial layer at SP4 and increase in the Superficial layer, Middle layer and Deep layer at LR5. In terms of the effect in nNOS production, there was significant increase in the Superficial layer, Middle layer and Deep layer at SP4 also in the Superficial layer at KI4. In terms of the effect in eNOS production, there was a significant increase in the Superficial layer, Middle layer and Deep layer at SP4, KI4 and LR5. In terms of the effect in iNOS production, there was significant increase in the Superficial layer, Middle layer and Deep layer at SP4, KI4 and LR5. Conclusions : The effect of acupuncture applied at the connecting point of six meridians of the foot on the activities of NO, NOS and NE could be observed, and it can be induced from the effect of needle stimulation on disrupted local and systemic nervous responses.

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of further acupuncture research as an effective alternative and safe treatment for abdominal pain control in patients with pancreatitis. Methods and Results : This study is an open-label, assessment-blind, parallel designed pilot clinical trial. Thirty participants will be assigned to the acupuncture group(n=15) and usual care group(n=15). All patients will receive the conventional standard-of-care(SOC) therapy, but only the experimental group will receive acupuncture therapy six times a week, and the duration of acupuncture therapy will be held up to 12 weeks or until the pains are to be resolved. For the conventional SOC therapy, painkiller will be given. In treatment group, the subjects will receive the identical SOC therapy in combination with electroacupuncture therapy on twelve acupuncture points(LI4, PC6, SP6, GB39, ST36, ST37), and auricular acupuncture therapy on five auricular acupuncture points(Sympathetic, Shen Men, Abdomen, Pancreas gall, and Spleen). The primary outcome will be measured using the visual analogue scale(VAS), and the secondary outcome will be measured using the painkiller demand, quality of life index and severity of pancreatitis by abdominal computed tomography(CT). Assessments will be made at baseline and at week 1, 4, 8 and 12. Results of abdominal CT will be evaluated at baseline and at week 12. Conclusions : The result of this trial will provide a basis for the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for abdominal pain in patients with pancreatitis.

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of laser acupuncture to the 532 nm on the five transport points with the heart meridian for treatment to hypertensive disease in rats with L-NAME induced hypertensive. Methods : Hypertensive was induced by L-NAME for 3 weeks. The laser acupuncture therapy on the five transport points of heart meridian(Laser Well Point-HT9, Laser Brook Point-HT8. Laser Stream Point-HT7, Laser River Point-HT4 and Laser Sea Point-HT3) was treated twice a week for 5 times. The hypertensive was measured using a cardiac hypertrophy, atherogenic index, TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio, TCHO, HDLC, TG, AST, ALT, antioxidative effectiveness and glutathione peroxidase quality of hypertensive rats induced by L-NAME. Results : Blood pressure were decreased significantly after the laser acupuncture of Well, Brook and Sea Point groups. Cardiac hypertrophy were decreased at the laser acupuncture of Brook and Stream Point groups. Athrogenic index was decreased at the laser acupuncture of Well, Stream, River and Sea Point groups. TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio was decreased at the laser acupuncture of all groups. Total cholesterol was decreased significantly at the laser acupuncture of Well Point group. High density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol were decreased significantly at the laser acupuncture of Well, Stream and River Point groups. Triglyceride was decreased significantly at the laser acupuncture of Stream Point group. Cu/Zn-Superoxide Dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase(GPX) were increased significantly at the laser acupuncture of Well Point group. Conclusions : The laser acupuncture treatment in five transport points of the Heart Meridian was effective for lowering blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy, Atherogenic index and HTR, and for enhancing antioxidant activity.