• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.11-16
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• 2005

Objective : The aim of the study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of BVA in the treatment of patients with acute ankle sprain. Design : A prospective randomized double-blind study of BVA was conducted. Setting : The study was done in the Kyungwon University Seoul Hospital from August 1st, 2004 to June 15th, 2005. Patients : 30 patients diagnosed with acute ankle sprain, especially 2nd degree on the Ankle grade pain chart(AGPC) participated in the study, who were divided into two groups (A and B) randomly by a coordinator flipping a coin. Group A and B were relevant to control and BVA group respectively, of which a coordinator never informed any other participant involved. Eventually 13 of 17 in group A and 11 of 13 in Group B finished all the process of the clinical trial. Intervention : In both group A and B, The Procedure of acupuncture treatment was made similar by appearance that four acupoints such as 坵墟(GB40), 中封(LR4), 商丘(SP5), 解谿(ST41) of the injured side were selected and Normal saline aqua-acupuncture(control, as a placebo) or BVA was done and then acupuncture at 坵墟(GB40), 中封(LR4), 商丘(SP5), 解谿(ST41), 足三里(ST36), 陽陵泉(G34) of the affected side was given again. the needles were retained for 20 minutes under the infrared rays. The treatment was given daily for a week. Outcome Measures : Ankle-Hindfoot Scale (AHS) and Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) were followed by three treatments. Statistical Analysis : Analysis regarding variations in AHS and VAS is carried out by applying Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon signed rank test sign test with level of significance at 5%. Results : At the end of the treatment, there was significant statistical differences between the two groups in VAS and AHS as well, while at the 3rd day only a VAS showed statistical significance. In each group, both VAS and AHS showed statistical significance along with duration of treatment. Conclusions : BVA was thought to be effective alternatives for relieving symptoms of acute ankle sprain, although further study was needed on the large scale.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.73-87
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• 2004

전통적인 면역억제제와 면역활동제인 녹용수용추출액(DAA)은 뼈의 재생에 있어서 중요한 역할을 한다고 여겨진다. 녹용약침이 비활성 연골세포의 분화를 야기시킬수 있는 지를 결정하기 위해, 융합된 세포 배양균을 녹용약침과 함께 24, 36, 48, 72, 120 시간동안 먼저 처리하였다. 이러한 처리후에 배양액을 10-10 ~ 10-8M 1,25-(OH)2D3를 포함하는 새로운 배양액으로 바꾸어 세포들을 추가로 24시간동안 배양했다. 앞선 연구에서 더 성숙된 활성연골세포가 이러한 Vit D3 대사산물에 반응한다는 것을 보여주었기 때문에 이러한 두 번째 처리를 선택하였다. 세포성숙에 있어서 녹용약침의 전처리 효과는 ALPase의 특이활동을 측정하는 것으로 확인하였다. 기질 단백질 합성의 변화는 35SO4 결합이 proteoglycan으로의 변화되는것과 collagen 합성을 측정함으로써 증명되었다. 비활성 연골세포가 녹용약침과 함께 120시간동안 전처리되고 다시 1,25-(OH)2D3를 추가한 처치에서 ALPase 특이활동과 collagen 합성이 농도 의존적으로 증가를 일으켰다. 그러나 proteoglycan의 생성에는 영향을 미치지 않았다. 1,25-(OH)2D3와 함께 전처리 된 비활성 연골 세포는 어떠한 전처리도 받지 않았던 비활성 연골세포처럼 반응했다. 이러한 결과는 녹용약침이 직접적으로 비활성 연골 세포를 활성 연골세포로 성숙시키는데 관여한다는 것을 알려준다. 그러므로 녹용약침은 연골내 골화과정에서 연골세포의 성숙을 조절하는데 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 나타났다.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.51-59
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• 2015

Objectives: This study was performed to analyze the toxicity and to find the lethal dose of the test substance Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture when used as a single-dose in 6 week old, male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Methods: All experiments were conducted at Biotoxtech (Chungwon, Korea), an institution authorized to perform non clinical studies, under the regulations of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). SD rats were chosen for the pilot study. Doses of Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture extracts, 0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 mL, were administered to the experimental group, and 0.5 mL doses of normal saline solution were administered to the control group. This study was conducted under the approval of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee. Results: No deaths or abnormalities occurred in any of the groups. Also, no significant changes in body weights were observed among the groups, and no significant differences in hematology/biochemistry, necropsy, and histopathology results were noted. Hematologically, some changes in the male rats in two experimental groups were observed, but those changes had no clinical or toxicological meaning because they were not dose dependent. Histopathological tests on the injected parts showed cell infiltration in the male rats in one of the experimental groups; however, that result was due to spontaneous generation and had no toxicological meaning. Therefore, this study showed that Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture had no effect on the injected parts in terms of clinical signs, body weight, hematology, clinical chemistry, and necropsy. Conclusion: As a result of single-dose tests of the test substance Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture in 4 groups of rats, the lethal dose for both males and females exceeded 0.5 mL/animal. Therefore, the above findings suggest that treatment with Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture is relatively safe. Further studies on this subject are needed.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.57-61
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• 2002

The activities of phase I enzymes in the liver of mice were examined following the intragastric application of Cnidium officinale Makino aqua-acupunture solution (COMAS). Treatment of mice with COMAS resulted in decreases of cytochrome P450 1A1-dependent ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylation and cytochrome P450 2E1-dependent p-nitrophenol and aniline hydroxylation activities. These findings suggest that COMAS has chemopreventive potential by inhibiting cytochrome P450 1A1 and cytochrome P450 2E1 activities in mice.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.99-108
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• 2005

Objective : The aim of this study is to investigate the analgesic effect and its mechanism of bee venom acupuncture on collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) rats. Methods : Bee venom (1 mg/kg) was subcutaneously punctured into Choksamni (ST36) of CIA Analgesic effect was evaluated by using the tail flick latency (TFL). Opioid and ${\alpha}2$-adrenergic neurotransmitter system were examined by naloxone as an opioid receptor antagonist and yohimbine as ${\alpha}2$-adrenoceptor antagonist prior to bee venom cupuncture. Results : The results were as follows; 1. The TFL for the CIA rat was decreased as time went by. 2. The TFL in CIA rat was increased in bee venom acupuncture group compared with control group (no treatment). 3. Analgesic effect of bee venom acupuncture was not abolished by naloxone pre-treatment in the CIA rat. 4. Analgesic effect of bee venom aqua-acupuncture was abolished by yohimbine pre-treatment in the CIA rat. 5. Two weeks bee venom acupuncture had the continous analgesic effect for 4 weeks. Conclusions : Bee venom acupuncture has an analgesic effect on the CIA rat and has an antinociception mediated by ${\alpha}2$-adrenergic system.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.191-201
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• 2005

Objective : The purpose of this study is to arrange the literature about a acupuncture therapy on the knee rheumatoid arthritis. Methods : We arrange fifty kinds of literature about a acupuncture therapy of knee joint, knee arthritis, Results : Acupucture point at G30, G34, S36, LI11, B4O, G39, G38, LI4 used frequently for the acupuncture therapy Conclusion : B, G, S, Sp of merdians used frequently for the acupuncture therapy.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.324-329
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• 2006

Neuropathic pain syndromes resulted from peripheral nerve injury appear to be resistant to conventional analgesics like opioids. However, it has been demonstrated that acupuncture including aqua-acupuncture may be effective in managing neuropathic pain. The present study was conducted to determine if bee venom injection into acupoint ihibits neuropathic pain, which is difficult to be treated by usual analgesics. Under pentobarbital anesthesia, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to neuropathic surgery. Two weeks after nerve injury, mechanical and cold allodynia were tested in order to evaluate the antiallodynic effects of bee venom injection into an acupoint. Intraperitoneal injection of morphine inhibited mechanical allodynia dose-dependently. Bee venom injected into Zusanli acupoint significantly inhibited mechanical and cold allodynia. These results suggest that bee venom-acupuncture as well as morphine is very effective to inhibit mechanical allodynia.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.129-145
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• 2001

Objectives : To characterize the antitumorigenic potential of three representative bee venom components, Melittin, Apamin, and Phospholipase A2, their effects on cell proliferation and apotosis of the human melanoma cell line SK-MEL-2 were analyzed using molecular biological approaches. Methodes & Results : To determine the doses of the drugs that do not induce cytotoxic damage to this cell line, cell viability was examined by MTT assay. While SK-MEL-2 cells treated with 0.5 - 2.0㎍/㎖ of each drug showed no recognizable cytotoxic effect, marked reductions of cell viability were detected at concentrations over 5.0㎍/㎖. [3H]thymidine incorporation assay for cell proliferation demonstrated that DNA replication of SK-MEL-2 cells is inhibited by Apamin and Phospholipase A2 in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with this result, the cells were accumulated at the G1 phase of the cell cycle after treatment with Apamin and Phospholipase A2, whereas no detectable change in cell proliferation was identified by Melittin treatment. In addition, tryphan blue exclusion and flow cytometric analyses showed that all of these drugs can trigger apoptotic cell death of SK-MEL-2, suggesting that Melittin, Apamin, and Phospholipase A2 have antitumorigenic potential through the suppression of cell growth and/or induction of apoptosis. Qantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that Apamin and Phospholipase A2 inhibit expression of growth-promoting genes such as c-Jun, c-Fos, and Cyciin D1. Furthermore, Phospholipase A2 induced tumor suppressors p53 and p21/Wafl. In addition, all three drugs were found to activate expression of a representative apoptosis-inducing gene Bax while expression of apoptosis-suppressing Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL genes was not changed. Taken together, this study strongly suggests that Metittin, Apamin, and Phosphalipase A2 may have antitumorigenic activities, which are associated with its growth-inhibiting and/or apoptosis-inducing potentials.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.119-127
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the parents' awareness on the oriental medical treatment and their expectation on children's growth. Methods: The survey was conducted on 78 Health Kids Fair visitors, and 87 children's height and weight were measured in this study. Results: 1. Compare to other treatment, 62.82% of the parents responded that herbal medicine is relatively effective in treating weakness, followed by 'Allergic disease'(46.15%) 'Growth disturbance'(26.92%) 'Obesity'(26.92%) 'Respiratory disease'(26.92%) 'Digestive disease'(19.23%) 'Precocious puberty'(8.97%) 'Neurologic & psychologic disease'(6.41%) 'Urogenital disease'(3.85%). 2. Parents recognize that 'Oriental medicine have an effect on children's height mostly'(25.64%) 'Oriental medicine have an effect on children's height partially'(64.10%) 'Oriental medicine have no effect on children's height'(10.26%) 25.64% of the parents responded that herbal medicine would be helpful in increasing height, 64.10% of the parents said they would be helpful to the certain extent, and 10.26% said they would not play any roles. 3. Expected average weight, height, and BMI score for the boys were 71.8kg, 179.6cm and 22.10. For the girls, however, they were 53.4kg, 168.7, and 18.74. 4. Survey on parents' awareness on benefits of different treatments for challenged growth, Herbal medicine'(48.72%) 'Acupuncture'(7.69%), 'Moxibustion'(3.85%), 'Electronic acupuncture and Aqua acupuncture'(1.28%), 'Massage on acupuncture point'(19.23%), 'Consultation of eating habits'(61.54%), 'Consultation of exercise'(47.44%) were measured. Conclusions: Considering the collected results, we realized that the parents' expected height on their children was, in fact, higher than the standard height. In addition, for treatments for their children's growth improvement, parents expected that 'Herbal madicine' 'Massage on acupuncture point' 'Consultation of eating habits' 'Consultation of exercise would be beneficial.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.92-111
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• 2002

Objective : Carthami Flos has been used as a herb to promote blood circulation to remove blood stasis in oriental medicine for many centuries, and Amun(GV15) has been used as a meridian point to treat apoplexy etc. To investigate treatment of cerevral vascular disease(CVA) by promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis(活血化瘀法), we observed the experimental effects and mechanism of auqa-acupunture of Carthami Flos(ACF) injected into GV15 on cerevral hemodynamics and cardiovascular system of rats. Method : Aqua-acupuncture of Carthami Flos(ACF) was injected into GV15, and then we investigated experimental effects and mechanism of ACF on the cerebral hemodynamics[regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF), pial arterial diameter(PAD), meal arterial blood pressure(MABP)] and cardiovascular system[cardiac muscle contractile force(CMF), heart rate(HR)I by pretreatment with methylene blue(MTB) and indomethacin(IDN). The changes in rCBF, MABP, CMF and HR were tested by Laser Doppler Flowmetry(LDF), and the changes in PAD was determinated by video microscopy methods and video analyzer. Results :The results were as follows in normal rats ; The changes of rCBF and PAD were significantly increased by ACF($120{\mu}{\ell}/kg$) in a injected time-dependent manner, but MABP was not changed by ACF. The changes of cardiovascular system were increased by ACF in a injected time-dependent manner. And pretreatment with MTB was significantly inhibited ACE induced increase of rCBF and PAD, and was decreased ACF induced increase of HR. And pretreatment with IDN was increased ACF induced MABP and CMF. And the results were as follows in cerebral ischemic rats ; The changes of rCBF was increased stabilizly by treatment with ACF($120{\mu}{\ell}/kg$) in during the period of cerebral reperfusion, but pretreatment with MTB was increased ACF induced increase of rCBF during the period of cerebral reperfusion. The results were as follows in normal rats ; The changes of rCBF and PAD were significantly increased by ACF($120{\mu}{\ell}/kg$) in a injected time-dependent manner, but MABP was not changed by ACF. The changes of cardiovascular system were increased by ACF in a injected time-dependent manner. And pretreatment with MTB was significantly inhibited ACF induced increase of rCBF and PAD, and was decreased ACF induced increase of HR. And pretreatment with IDN was increased ACF induced MABP and CMF. And the results were as follows in cerebral ischemic rats ; The changes of rCBF was increased stabilizly by treatment with ACF($120{\mu}{\ell}/kg$) in during the period of cerebral reperfusion, but pretreatment with MTB was increased ACF induced increase of rCBF during the period of cerebral reperfusion Conclusions : In conclusion, ACF causes a diverse response of rCBF, PAD an HR, and action of ACF is mediated by cyclic GMP. I suggested that ACF has an anti-ischemic effect through the improvement of crebral hemodynamics in a transient cerebral ischemia.