• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.125-139
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• 2001

In order to study the effects of bee venom herbal acupuncture on the neurotransmitters of the rat brain cortex, herbal acupuncture with the bee venom group and normal saline group was performed bilaterally on the point corresponding to LI 4 of the rat. The average optical density of the neurotransmitters from the cerebral cortex was analyzed 30 minutes after the herbal acupuncture with immunohistochemical methods. The results were as follows: 1. The density of NADPH-diaphorase in the bee venom group was increased significantly at the motor cortex, visual cortex, auditory cortex, cingulate cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and perirhinal cortex, compared to the normal saline group. 2. The average optical density of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the bee venom group had significant changes at the insular cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and perirhinal cortex, compared to the normal saline group. 3. The average optical density of neuropeptide-Y in the bee venom group increased significantly at the visual cortex and cingulate cortex, compared to the normal saline group.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.167-171
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• 2006

Objective : This study was to evaluate the effect of Bee venom-Acupuncture therapy on patients with sprain of the wrist. Methods : We investigated 31 cases of patients with sprain of the wrist. We flip a coin and divide patients into two groups. Bee venom-Acupuncture was performed at on group, and the other group we didn't do it. We evaluated the treatment effect of each group by using the visual analog scale(VAS). Results : 1. As a result of evaluation by using the VAS, the score after treatment was marked lower than that before treatment within each group. 2. After treatment, Bee venom-Acupuncture therapy group showed significant difference on visual analog scale(VAS) compared with acupuncture therapy group. Conclusion : These results suggested that Bee venom-Acupuncture treatment should be more effective in the patient with sprain of the Wrist joint.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.164-178
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• 2001

Objective : To research the trends of the study related to bee venom and arthritis, and to establish the hereafter direction of the study on bee venom herval acupuncture. Method : We searched in PubMed, with bee venom and arthritis (with abstract). Results : 1. We searched15 Papers, and the pattern of the was as fallows: Experimental study(13 Papers), Epidemiologic study(2), Review study(1). 2. The type of the experimental studies(12 Papers) was as follows: In vivo(6 Paper), In vitro(6). And the involved components of bee venom were as follows: Bee venom itself(6 Papers), Melittin(3), PLAP(1), PLAP & Melittin(1), Adolapin(1). 3. Among the experimental studies(12 Papers), the mechanism of inflammation was 10 papers (Inhibition 7, Inducer 3), and the effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture therapy were 2 papers.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.74-88
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• 2002

Objectives : This study is aimed to investigate the effects of bee venom and melittin on cell death in synovial cell line. Methods : It was evaluated by using MTT assay, morphologic method, DNA fragmenation, NO generation, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry analysis, RT-PCR, Western blot. Results : The obtained results are summarized as follows: 1. The MTT assay demonstrated that synovial cell viability was significantly inhibitted dose-dependently by treatment with bee venom and melittin in comparison with control. 2. The morphologic study demonstrated that synovial cell showed apoptosis after treatment with bee venom and melittin for 6 hours using microscope. 3. In case of NO generation bee venom group and melittin group showed significant inhibition in comparison with control. 4. The Flow cytometry demonstrated that apoptosis of synovial cell treated with bee venom and melittin was related with stop of cell cycle in stage of $G_0/G_1$. 5. DNA fragmenation demonstrated that synovial cell treated with bee venom and melittin showed DNA ladder below l Kbp. 6. Immunocytochemistry assay demonstrated that COX-II and PLA2 were strongly down-regulated by treatment with bee venom and melittin whereas iNOS was almostly not expressed by bee venom treatment and slightly expressed by melittin treatment. 7. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that iNOS were strongly down-regulated by treatment with bee venom and melittin whereas COX-II was almostly not expressed by bee venom treatment and slightly expressed by melittin treatment. 8. Western blot demonstrated that iNOS were strongly down-regulated by treatment with $15{\mu}g/ml$ bee venom whereas COX-II was strongly down-regulated from $5{\mu}g/ml$ bee venom. Conclusions : These results suggest that bee venom and melittin have significant effect on cell death in synovial cell line and further study is needed in vivo.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.154-165
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• 2003

Objective : to research the trend of the study related to Bee venom and o establish the hereafter direction for the study on Bee Venom therapy. Methods : We reviewed the domestic papers published last ten years(1992-2001). Results: 1.We have searched 53 papers in 7 journals and the pattern of study was as follow: the experimental studies were 33, the clinical studies were 10 and the reviewed studies were 10. 2. The experimental studies were 2 papers of analysis of Bee Venom, 3 papers of safety assessment, 1 paper on production of antibody against Bee Venom and 26 paper of safety assessment. 3. Bee Venom used in studies was made in Korea, China and U.S.A.. There were differences of component and effect according to the place of production. 4. There were the experimental studies of LD50 in mouse, acute toxicity, local irritation test, antigenicity and pyrogen test of Bee Venom. Conclusions : We need more studies of unification of term about Bee Venom, difference according to the place of production, clinical safety and effects.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.75-84
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• 2004

Objective: To evaluate the treatment effect of Bee-venom Acupuncture on Neck Pain, which is well known for anti-inflammatory effect and function of activating immune system. Methods : We investigated 22 cases of patients with Neck Pain induced by soft tissue injury. One group was treated by Bee-venom Acupuncture therapy (Bee-venom Acupuncture Group :BA), the other group was treated by General Acupuncture therapy (None Bee-venom Acupuncture Group :GA). We evaluated the treatment effect of each group by few statistical analysis such as frequency analysis, Mann Whitney U test and spearman correlation analysis. Results : 1. In the age distribution of both groups, we found the highest frequency at the interval 35 to 45 years old. And in the number of medical treatment, Both groups show the highest frequency at the interval of less than four times. 2. BA was significantly decreased in VAS and clinical grade compared with GA. 3. We found significant correlation between period and number of treatment. So did we between VAS and clinical grade. Conclusion : As a result of thorough investigation, we could come to a conclusion that Bee-venom Acupuncture Group might have a notable effect on VAS and clinic grade.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.21-31
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods : This clinical study was carried out on 119 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, who had been admitted from May, 2009 to March, 2011. Patients were sorted into two groups ; One group(bee venom pharmacopuncture group) was treated with bee venom pharmacopuncture and acupuncture therapy, the other(non-bee venom pharmacopuncture group) with acupuncture therapy only. Verbal numerical rating scale(VNRS) and Oswestry disability index(ODI) were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment in both groups. VNRS and ODI scores of the two groups were statistically compared. Results : The bee venom pharmacopuncture group demonstrated a more significant improvement than non-bee venom pharmacopuncture group when evaluated with VNRS and ODI. Conclusions : In the case of the patients with spinal stenosis, it was found that treatment with combination of bee venom pharmacopuncture and acupuncture was more effective in improving the conditions of the patients (subsidence of the symptoms) than the acupuncture treatment only.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.13-24
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was designed to investigate the effects of bee venom acupuncture at Shinsu($BL_{23}$) and Daejangsu($BL_{25}$) on neuropathic pain induced by tibial and sural nerve injury in rats. Methods : Neuropathic pain model was made by partial resection of tibial and sural nerve. Three weeks after the neuropathic surgery, bee venom acupuncture was firstly injected at $BL_{23}$ and $BL_{25}$, then we measured withdrawal responses induced by von Frey filament and acetone stimulation. Bee venom acupunctures were injected 6times on every 2days. Measurement of withdrawal responses were conducted on the same days. After bee venom acupuncture injection, expression levels of c-Fos, nocieptin and KOR-3 were observed through using immunohistochemistry. Results : In this experiment, bee venom acupunctures at $BL_{23}$ and $BL_{25}$ decreased levels of withdrawal responses induced by von Frey filament and acetone stimulation respectively. In addtion, expression levels of c-Fos, nociceptin and KOR-3 in central gray part of brain in rats were decreased by bee venom acupuncture. Conclusions : These results imply that bee venom acupuncture was useful to treat patients with neuropathic pain, and related mechanisms were involved in opioid and their receptors such as nociceptin and KOR-3.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.73-81
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• 2003

Objective : The study was performed to evaluate the effect of treatment for Osteoarthritis of knee joint by using Bee Venom Acupuncture that is well known for anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Methods: We investigated 50 cases of patient with Osteoarthritis of knee joint from 1st July 2001 to 31st December 2002, 50 cases of patient with Osteoarthritis in knee joint treated at the department of acupuncture & moxibustion of Kyung-Won University Oriental Hospital were randomly selected for two group. One group was treated by Bee Venom Acupuncture therapy, the other group was treated by Filiform Acupuncture therapy. We studied nine-point scale and improvement degree of the grade of clinical symptoms. Results: 1. In the results of treatment, 88% were above "Good" of Bee Venom Acupuncture and 68% in Filiform Acupuncture . 2. In the nine-point scale. Bee Venom Acupuncture was more effective than Filiform Acupuncture. 3. In the improvement degree of the grade of clinical symptoms. Bee Venom Acupuncture was more effective than Filiform Acupuncture. Conclusions: In the treatment of Osteoarthritis of knee joint. Bee Venom Acupuncture can be regarded as more effective treatment than Filiform Acupuncture in the clinical practice. This is expected to be available for clinical use.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.24-34
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• 2002

Objective : To report seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp which is treated by Bee-venom Acupuncture therapy. Methods : Under the assumption that Be-venom Therapy may be effective for treatment seborrheic dermatitis, Bee-venom acupuncture was injected subcutaneously into the lesion including Gv24(神庭), Gv23(上星), Gv22, Gv20(白會), B4(曲差), B5(五處), B6(承光), S8(頭維), etc. Results : The symptoms including erythematous plaque, scale, itching were resolved clearly except a little scale by Bee-venom acupuncture Therapy. Conclusions : Bee-venom acupuncture Therapy is effective in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis. if more clinical trials like this are proved to be effective in seborrheic dermatitis, we can expect that Bee-venom acupuncture Therapy is used to treatment of seborrheic dermatitis as good method.