• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.95-108
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• 2005

Objective : In the present study, the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) applied to several acupoints and non-acupoint in CFA-induced knee arthritis was examined. Methods : A common source of persistent pain in humans is arthritis. Arthritis was induced by injection of CFA $125\;{\mu}l$ into knee joint cavity under enflurane anesthesia. The rat subsequently showed swelling of the ankle and a reduced stepping force of the affected limb for the next several days. The reduced stepping force of the limb was presumably due to a painful knee. EA was applied to either of $LR_2,\;LI_4$, or non-acupoint on the contralateral forelimb for 30 min under gaseous anesthesia. After the termination of EA, behavioral tests measuring stepping force were periodically conducted during the next 4 h. Results : EA applied to $LR_2$ point produced a significant improvement of stepping force of the affected foot lasting for at least 2 h. However, neigher $LI_4$ point nor non-point produced any significant increase of weight bearing force. The improvement of stepping pressure was interpreted as an analgesic effect. The analgesic effect was specific to the acupuncture point since the analgesic effect on CFA-induced knee arthritic pain model could not be mimicked by EA applied to a point, $LI_4$ or non-acupoint. In addition, both NO production and iNOS protein expression increased by arthritis were suppressed by EA applied to $LR_2$ point. Conclusion : These data suggest that EA produces a potent analgesic effect in the rat model of CFA-induced knee arthritis. This analgesic effect is produced by applying EA to an acupoint at opposite side from the painful area in a stimulus point-specific way.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.283-289
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• 2002

The effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at SP-6 with different durations on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) and on the cardiovascular system were evaluated in dogs under isoflurane anesthesia. Eight healthy male beagles were randomly assigned to four study groups (n = 5/group) with washout period of 7 days for recovery and anesthetic withdrawal between experiments. Four study groups were control, nonacupoint electrical stimulation (NA), EA for 30 minutes (SP-6) and continuous EA for 70 or 90 minutes (SP-6C). For the nonacupoint electrical stimulation group, needles were inserted into the nonacupoint at the muscle bellies of left triceps brachii and right quadriceps femoris. MAC and cardiovascular parameters were determined after EA at SP-6 acupoint and at nonacupoint. Thirty minutes of EA and continuous EA until re-determination of MAC at SP-6 acupoint lowered the MAC of isoflurane by 21.3$\pm$8.0% and 16.1$\pm$4.6%, respectively (p<0.05). The decrements in MAC values were not significantly different between two EA groups. However, electrical stimulation of nonacupoint did not induce a significant change in MAC. In SP-6 and SP-6C groups, significant changes in cardiovascular parameters were not observed. These results indicate that EA at SP-6 have an advantage in isoflurane anesthesia in terms of reducing the requirement for anesthetics and minimizing cardiovascular side effects. EA for 30 minutes at maximum might be the sufficient time to produce acupuncture analgesia.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.872-876
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• 2010

The present study found that EA pre-treatment effectively attenuated both spinal ERK activation and hyperalgesia against carrageenan-induced inflammation, whereas EA co-treatment with carrageenan injection unexpectedly elevated ERK activation in a synergistic manner and virtually had no analgesic effect. Therefore, we have concluded that the molecular mechanism of EA anagesia may be related to the inhibition of spinal ERK activation. Further experiments are required to find the intermediate candidates which transmits the pain-alleviating signals on the way of inhibiting ERK activation by EA.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.16 no.2
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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.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.305-318
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• 2013

Objectives : The aim of this study was to examine the effect of electroacupuncture(EA) at an acupoint, HT8(Sobu), on normal humans by using power spectral analysis. We examined the effect on the Heart Rate Variability(HRV), and the balance of the autonomic nervous system. Methods : Thirty-two healthy volunteers participated in this study. EEG(Electroencephalogram) power spectrum exhibits site-specific and state-related differences in specific frequency bands. A thirty-two channel EEG study was carried out on thirty-two subjects(14 males; mean age=23.5 years old, 18 females; mean age=21.5 years old). HRV and EEG were simultaneously recorded before and after acupuncture. Results : In the ${\alpha}$(alpha) band, during the HT8-acupoint treatment, the power values in the ${\alpha}$(alpha) band significantly decreased(p<0.05) at 28 channels. In the ${\beta}$(beta) band significantly decreased(p<0.05) at 26 channels. In ${\delta}$(delta) band significantly decreased(p<0.05) at 18 channels. In ${\theta}$(theta) band significantly decreased(p<0.05) at 20 channels. ${\alpha}/{\beta}$ values were increased at 6 channels and decreased at 10 channels.${\beta}/{\theta}$ values were increased at 10 channels and decreased at 19 channels. Mean-RR(RR-interval), Complexity, RMSSD(Root mean square of successive differences), SDSD(Standard deviations differences between adjacent normal R-R intervals), norm HF showed a significantly increased and mean-HRV, norm LF, LHR(LF/HF Ratio) showed a significantly decreased after HT8-acupoint treatment(p<0.05). Conclusions : These results suggest that EA at the HT8 mostly causes significant changes on alpha(28 channels), beta(26 channels), delta(18 channels), theta(20 channels) bands and mean-HRV, mean-RR, complexity, RMSSD, SDSD, norm LF, norm HF and LHR. If practicing EA at the HT8, it will regulate the function of the cerebral cortex, decrease activity of the sympathetic and increase parasympathetic nervous activity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.700-703
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• 2009

The present study investigated whether electroacupuncture (EA) can alleviate hypertension and concomitant disorders such as decreased kidney weight and elevation of serum creatinine in spontaneous hypertensive rats. EA (2 Hz, 3 mA, 10 min) was applied to Joksamni (ST36) once daily for 7 days. Body weight, blood pressure and heart rate were measured on Day 0, 2, 6, 8, 10 and 12, and kidney weight and serum creatinine levels were examined after sacrifice (on Day 12 after last examination). In the ST36 group, the blood pressure were significantly decreased from 6thdays and its effects lasted up to Day12 (up to 5days after cessation of acupuncture), compared to control. And, significant decreases of the heart rates after EA at ST36 were also observed on Day 2, 6, and 8. However, there were no significant differences in daily body weight, kidney weight and serum creatinine between acupuncture and control group. These results showed that EA at ST36 caused anti-hypertension by decreasing blood pressure and heart rates in spontaneous hypertenstive rats, although it failed to alleviate concomitant disorders such as the decreased kidney weight and elevation of serum creatinine shown in hypertensive rats.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.76-83
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• 2021

While carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy affecting the wrist, resulting in substantial physical, psychological, and economic effects, there is no gold standard therapy for CTS. In this case series study, we aimed to report CTS patients treated with Carthami Semen Pharmacopuncture (CSP) and electroacupuncture (EA) showing improvements in their symptoms, and the combinatorial effects of CSP and EA. We collected medical records of CTS outpatients who received CSP and EA at Chuku Acupuncture & Moxibustion Korean Medicine Clinic from August 2017 to September 2018. The outcome measures were the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, paresthesia, the Korean version of the Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire (K-BCTQ) score, and changes in nocturnal pain, Tinel sign, and Phalen's test. We included patient satisfaction at the completion of all treatments. 17 patients were included for this case series study. After treatment, VAS for pain decreased significantly from 50.41 ± 16.19 to 9.59 ± 9.46, VAS for paresthesia also decreased significantly from 63.50 ± 11.49 to 14.75 ± 12.97, and K-BCTQ symptom severity scale decreased from 2.48 ± 0.68 to 1.89 ± 0.70 (all p < 0.001). Nocturnal pain, Tinel signs, and Phalen's test showed improvements after all the treatments. All the patients reported favorable overall satisfaction with the treatments, and 69.23% wanted future pharmacopuncture treatments if CTS recurred. No complications were detected. The combination of CSP and EA could be an effective and safe option in treating CTS.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.13 no.2 s.20
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• pp.149-155
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• 2007

Objective : Using a spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model of essential hypertension, this study investigated whether electroacupuncture (EA) could reduce early stage hypertension by examining whether EA increased nitric oxide (NO) levels in plasma, which compensates for elevated blood pressure (BP). Methods : EA was applied to the acupoint, Baekhoe (GV20), and to a non acupoint in the tail at 10 Hz and an intensity of 1 mA for 10 minutes on the first and fourth day of the week for three weeks under isoflurane anesthesia. In conscious SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, blood pressure was determined the day after EA treatment by the tail cuff method using an automatic BP monitoring system. We also measured NO concentration of blood serum in SHR and WKY. Results : Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were lower after 3 weeks of GV20 treatment than in non EA treated or non acupoint treated SHR rats. The NO level of plasma was significantly lower in hypertensive SHR than in normotensive WKY. EA prevented the augmentation of blood pressure, and also increased NO concentrations from $7.91{\pm}0.42$ ${\mu}M$ to $11.50{\pm}0.93$ ${\mu}M$ in SHR serum. Conclusions : We suggest that acupuncture may be an early intervention to delay the development of hypertension and enhance NO/NOS activity.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.17-28
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• 1998

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of different stimulation-duration of high frequency electroacupuncturet(EA) treatment on the neuronal activities in the spinal cord and brainstem using Fos immunohistochemical technique. Three different stimulus-duration was used in this experiment : 30minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours. The summerized results were summerized as follow : 1. The number of Fos expression was significantly increased in the spinal cord dorsal horn depending upon the increase of stimulus-duration (P<0.05). Otherwise, there was no significant difference between 30 minutes EA treated group and anesthetic control. 2. High frequency EA biphasic stimulation significantly enhanced the Fos expression in the DR, middle and rostral portion of PAG LD, and caudal PAG LV after 1 hour and 2 hours treatment. The number of Fos immunoreactive neuron in the brainstem was increased accorcting to the length of stimulus-duration. Those results indicate that at least 1 hour EA treatment was necessary to increase the neuronal activities in the spinal cord and brainstem. Those basic data from this study can be applied to establish the effective treatment of EA for pain control in the clinical field.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.179-193
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• 2007

Objectives: It has been demonstrated that acupuncture treats diseases while that the widespread use of that clinically and experimentally. It also has shown that electro-acupuncture(EA) is more effective than manual-acupuncture (MA). The purpose of this study was to investigate effect of EA and MA at combined acupoints on sex and age in rats. Methods: This study measured the effects of acupuncture treatment on small intestinal motility in rats. MA and EA(intensity, 5 times muscle twitch threshold) was applied for 30 minutes to the combined left and right sides acupoints on ST36, ST37, ST39 under enflurane anesthesia. EA and MA applied to the ST36, ST37, ST39 acupoints produced an elevation of small intestinal motility. Results: In experimental groups of combined left and right sides acupoints, only specified groups show elevation of small intestinal motility in male rats, 5 weeks age. Furthermore, combined left and right sides acupoints in EA and MA show differences effects according to the sex, male and female, and the age as 5, 6, 7, 8 weeks. Conclusion : Although these different according to the sex and age in rats do not have a established tendency, the present study suggest that effect of EA and MA are experimentally dependent upon the sex and age on small intestinal motility in rats.