• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.113-127
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• 2004

Objectives : The usage of acupuncture has gained popularity as an alternative method of treatment for certain chronic pain conditions. However, the efficacy of acupuncture in various diseases has not been fully established and the underlying mechanism is not clearly understood. In the present study, the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) applied to foot samli$(ST_{36})$ on the carrageenan-induced knee arthritic pain was examined. Methods : A common source of persistent pain in humans is the knee arthritis. Knee arthritis was induced by injection of 2 % carrageenan $50\;{\mu}l$ into the knee joint cavity. When rats developed pain behaviors, EA was applied for 30 min. under enflurane anesthesia with repeated train stimuli at the intensity of 10X of muscle twitch threshold. The weight bearing force of the hind limb was measured for an indicator of pain level after each manipulation. Results : The average weight borne by the hind limb during normal gait was 55% of total body weight, which was reduced to less than 10% after knee arthritis. EA improved the weight bearing of the arthritic hind limb significantly for the duration of 4 hr. EA applied to $ST_{36}$ point produced a significant improvement of stepping force of the arthritic foot lasting for at least 4 h. However, $GB_{31}$ point did not produce any significant increase of weight bearing force. The analgesic effect was specific to the acupuncture point since the analgesic effect on the knee arthritis model could not be mimicked by EA applied to a nearby point, $GB_{31}$. The relations between EA-induced analgesia and endogenous nitric oxide(NO) and inducible NO synthase(iNOS)/neuronal NOS was also examined. Results were turned out that both NO production and nNOS/iNOS protein expression which is increased by arthritis were suppressed by EA stimulation applied to $ST_{36}$ point. Conclusions : The data suggest 1) that EA produces a potent analgesic effect on the rat model of chronic knee arthritis pain in a point specific manner and 2) that EA-induced analgesia modulate endogenous NO through the suppression of nNOS/iNOS protein expression.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제20권6호
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• pp.148-159
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• 2003

Objective: This study examines the effects of acupoint combination on NADPH-diaphorase and neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS) in the brainstem of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Methods: The changes of NADPH-d-positive neurons using a histochemical method and the changes of nNOS-positive neurons using an immunohistochemical method were evaluated. The optical densities of NADPH-d-positive neurons and nNOS-positive neurons of the Choksamni(ST36) Umnungchon(SP9) groups were significantly increased in all brainstem areas as compared to the Choksamni and Choksamni Kokchi(LI11) groups and decreased, with the exeption of the nNOS-positive neurons in the superficial gray of superior colliculus, as compared to the normal group. Results: Our results demonstrated that electroacupuncture changes the activity in the NO system in the brainstem of SHR and the acupoint combination is one of the important parameters for this effect.

• 한방안이비인후피부과학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.138-151
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• 2003

Although the use of acupuncture for pain has increased in recent years, the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia (AA) remains obscure. The lack of suitable experimental animal models for persistent pain, which show clear AA, has been the major stumbling block in the investigation of the physiological mechanisms of AA. In the present study, we test AA in two knee arthritis model induced by injection of CFA or carrageenan as a chronic pain model. After induction of arthritis, the rat subsequently showed a reduced stepping force of the affected limb for the next several days. Electroacupuncture (EA) was applied to an acupuncture point each on the contralateral forelimb for 30 minutes under enflurane anesthesia. After the termination of EA, behavioral tests measuring stepping force were periodically conducted during the next several hours. EA produced a significant improvement of stepping force of the foot lasting for at least 2 hours when applied to LR2 In CFA model, and applied to ST36 in carrageenan model, but both points did not produce any significant effects in each other model. These data suggest that EA produce analgesic effect in knee arthritic pain and the analgesic effect is specific to the acupuncture point.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.425-431
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of Achyranthes Radix(AR) and electroacupuncture(EA) in rats with rheumatoid arthritis induced by type II collagen for 28 days. Control group was daily administered 0.9% NaCl 0.5 $m{\ell}$, Group I was daily administered 0.9% NaCl 0.5 $m{\ell}$ to arthritic rats, Group II was orally administered with Achyranthes Radix 500 mg/kg 0.5 $m{\ell}$ to arthritic rats. Group III was given 2 Hz EA of chok samni acupoint(ST36) in the test group for 30 min/days to arthritic rats. Group IV was daily orally administered with Achyranthes Radix 500 mg/kg 0.5 $m{\ell}$ and 2 Hz EA of chok samni acupoint(ST36) in the test group for 30 min/days to arthritic rats. This studies have been designed to evaluate the hind paw edema, assessment of arthritis indices, analgetic effects by analysis of blood chemistry(WBC, CRP, ALP, AST). In each group, histologic observations, Safranin O-fast green stain were observed and analyzed. The following results were obtained. Group II, III, IV were significantly decreased arthritis indices and the rate of paw edema compared with Group I . Especially group IV was the most significantly decreased. The WBC, CRP, AST, ALT was that Group II, III, IV were significantly decreased compared with Group I . In conclusion, Achyranthes Radix and Ea contribute to the improvement of blood chemistry and change in safranin O-fast green by knee joint of arthritic rats.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.130-137
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• 2010

Objectives: So far it has been reported that acupuncture increases cerebral blood supply and stimulates the functional activity of brain nerve cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that frequently used electro-acupuncture (EA) therapies for stroke increased regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in normal volunteers. Though ST 36-ST 41 EA is another prevailing therapy for stroke, there had been no report about its effect on rCBF. This study was to evaluate the effect of ST 36-ST 41 EA on rCBF in normal volunteers using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Methods: In the resting state, $^{99m}Tc$-ECD brain SPECT scans were performed on 10 normal volunteers (5 males, 5 female, mean age $23.6{\pm}0.5$ years). On the other study day, 7 days after the resting examination, 15 minutesEA were applied at ST 36 and ST 41 on the right side of the subjects. Immediately after ST36-ST41 EA, the second SPECT images were obtained in the same manner as the resting state. Significant increases and decreases of rCBF after EA were estimated by comparing their SPECT images with those of the resting state using paired t statistics at every voxel, which were analyzed by SPM with a threshold of p = 0.01, uncorrected (extent threshold: k=100 voxels). Results: EA applied at the right ST36-ST41 significantly increased rCBF in the right inferior parietal lobule (Brodmann area [BA] 40), right retrosubicular area (BA 48), left inferior parietal lobule (BA 40), left middle temporal gyrus (BA 21), left fusiform gyrus (BA 37), left inferior parietal lobule (BA 39), left inferior temporal gyrus (BA 20), and left somatosensory association cortex (BA 7). However, right ST36-ST41 EA significantly decreased rCBF in the right parahippocampal gyrus (BA 35), right cerebellum, left frontopolar area (BA 10), left orbitofrontal area (BA 11), left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 9), and left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (BA 32). Conclusions: These results demonstrate that rightST36-ST41 EA increased rCBF prominently in both inferior parietal lobule (BA 40) and right retrosubicular area (BA 48), which suggest that there be correlation between specific EA and corresponding rCBF.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.341-352
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• 2011

본 연구는 전침자극이 일과성 뇌허혈이 유발된 흰쥐 대뇌피질에서 GFAP으로 표지되는 반응성 별아교세포증에 미치는 효과를 동정하기위해서 시행되었다. 실험동물은 전침자극군과 대조군으로 구분하였고, 다시 각 집단을 1일, 3일, 7일 군으로 나누어 각기 15마리씩 무작위 배분하여 실험에 사용하였다. 전침은 인체의 족삼리, 곡지, 음릉선에 상응하는 부위에 자침하고 2 Hz의 근육수축이 현저히 보일 때까지 고강도 (1mA)를 자극하였으며, 전침은 연속파, 직각파, 0.2 ms duration으로 매일 1회 오전 10~12시에 10 분 씩 총 10 회 시행한 뒤, 뇌의 조직절편을 제작하여 GFAP에 대한 면역조직화학염색을 실시해 다음과 같은 결과를 산출 하였다. GFAP의 발현은 뇌허혈로 인해 손상이 유발된 대뇌피질의 혈관주위 및 대뇌피질에서 현저하게 높은 수준으로 관찰되었다. 실험군에서 면역조직화학적으로 표지된 별아교세포들을 계수한 바, 대조군에 비해 뇌허혈이 유발된 1 일 군에서 전침자극군이 약간 감소하였고, 3 일 후에는 현저히 감소하였으며, 7 일 후에는 그 감소정도가 둔화되는 양상을 나타냈다. 대조군에 비해 전침자극군에서 GFAP으로 표지된 별모양아교세포의 수가 모두 감소한 것은 전침자극에 의해 손상의 정도가 감소하여, 전침자극이 신경가소성을 유발시키고 있다는 것으로 관찰되었다.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.748-754
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• 2007

Electroacupuncture is the combined treatment of mechanical and electric stimuli on the needle head, on which electricity runs after acupuncturing at the acupuncture points. It is reported that its treatment effect depends on the parameter of stimulus, which is wave of stimulus, frequency, voltage, and duration of electric current. To get the effective treatment, stimulus intensity over threshold is needed. We planned to experiment whether acupuncture effect is affected by sex, age, and weight. After we conducted electric stimulus at Zusanli(ST 36) which is known to increase small intestinal motility in normal rats, we observed the effects and got the following results. Though the increased effects of small intestinal motility of electro-acupuncture at Zusanli(ST 36) did not show the difference of sex, this effect was observed to have a tendency to decrease according to weight increase without distinction of sex. But the effect of electro-acupuncture shown in 4, 5, 7 weeks old without distinction of sex was observed to have a tendency to decrease with the growing of weeks-old in the male rat group. And the significant change without specific tendency was observed in the 4, 5 weeks old female rat group. This result suggested that sex, weight, and age should be considered to get the efficient electro-acupuncture. The more experimental study should be advanced to investigate the correlation between the factors that can affect the acupuncture treatment, and, afterward, the interconnection into the clinical use.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.1285-1290
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• 2007

The present study aims to identify and characterize genes that cause differen genes between non-responders and responders to electroacupuncture (EA) on mechanical allodynia following peripheral nerve injury. Under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia, animals were subjected to unilateral transection of the superior caudal trunk at the level between S1 and S2 spinal nerves. EA stimulation (2Hz, 0.3 ms, 0.2-0.3 mA) was delivered to Zusanli (ST36) for 30 min 2 weeks after the surgery. The degree of mechanical allodynia was assessed quantitatively by touching the tail with von Frey hair (2.0 g) at 10 min intervals. The rats, which showed an EA-induced decrease of response frequencies under 10 %, were classified as non-responders and those displaying an EA-induced decrease of response frequencies 20 % or more were classified as responders. Results from oligonucleotide microarray, to which cDNAs from the spinal dorsal horn (DH) were applied, showed that hemoglobin beta chain complex and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-5 decreased and limbic system-associated membrane protein increased in the non-responder group, whereas calcium-independent alpha-Iatrotoxin receptor homolog-3 increased in the responder group. These results suggest that The functional abnormality of molecules regulating cell adhesion, intracellular signal transduction and cell differentiation in the spinal DH may be involved in the anti-allodynic effect of EA.

• 대한임상전기생리학회지
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.47-59
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• 2007

The purpose of this study were to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture(EA) on sensory nerve function in acute hyperglycemia rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250~270 g(8 weeks of age) were used in this study, and the induced hyperglycemia rats were produced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(70 mg/kg body weight). Only animals with blood glucose levels of 300 mg/dl or higher were used in this study. Animal were divided into two groups: the control group and EA group (n=7 in each group). For EA, two stainless-steel needles were inserted into Zusanli (ST36) which is located at the anterior tibial muscle and about 10mm below the knee joint. Pulsed current(2 Hz, 0.3 ms) were applied to the inserted needle for 20 mim. We measured glucose level, weigh, sensory nerve conduction and somatosensory evoked potential(5EP) before and after injecting streptozotocin, 2 weeks, 4 weeks. The change of blood glucose on EA group trended to decrease compared with the control group and there were significant differences(p<0.05). The body weight of the EA group trended to be reduced compared with the control group and there were significant differences(p<0.05). The amplitude of sensory nerve action potential on EA group to increase compared with the control group and there were significant differences(p<0.05). There were no significant differences in SEP. These results suggest that EA has beneficial effect on diabetic neuropathy and this effect may be related in part with prevention of hyperglycemia.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.221-230
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• 2002

Some studies report that electroacupuncture(EA) boost natural killer cell(NK cell) activity. And also it is well known that hypothalamus is deeply related to effects of EA on analgesia. Some reports said that especially lateral hypothalamic area(LHA) is related to splenic NK cell activity. In order to investigate the relation between hypothalamus and effects of EA at ST36 point on NK cell activity of Spraque-Dawley rats. Lesions were made bilaterally at lateral hypothalamic area(LHA). And NK cytotoxities of normal and lesioned rats were measured with 51Cr release immunoassay after EA stimulation for 2 and 14 days. NK cell activity of EA group was significantly higher than sham group at 2nd, 14th day in normal rats. And LHA lesions abolished effects of EA on NK cell activity at 2nd day. But LHA lesions did not affect the effects of EA at 14th days. We also had an evidence that the decrease of NK cell activity was almost recoverd at 14th day. These results strongly suggest that LHA is deeply related to increase of NK cell activity induced by EA.