• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.27-40
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• 2010

Background and Objective : Increasing interest in anti-aging and anti-wrinkling agents for the skin has triggered the recent outflow of researches and studies in this field. This study was designed to investigate the effects of bee venom on skin wrinkling and skin aging by testing the skin wrinkling, skin elasticity, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), free radical level, anti-oxidative agent level, and skin tissue after infusion of bee venom on hairless mouse. Materials and Methods : Fifteen hairless mice aged between 36~40 weeks were divided randomly into 3 Group; the Bee Venom Syringe Group, the Bee Venom Needle Group, and the control group. The Bee Venom Syringe Group were injected subcutaneously with bee venom (0.1cc in total) using an insulin syringe on three spots in the lumbar spine (one spot on the center and two spots 1~2cm to the side bilaterally). The Bee Venom Needle Group were pricked with bee venom-smeared acupuncture needles on three longitudinal spots in the lumbar spine each 1cm apart, after which the needles were removed 10 minutes later. The Control Group did not receive any form of intervention. All procedures took place thrice a week for four weeks, during which the mice were allowed free access to water and fodder. The mice were measured and compared in the weight, skin wrinkling scale, skin elasticity, and TEWL before and after the experiment. After the experiment, blood samples were taken to measure the free radical and anti-oxidative agent level, and the skin tissue was sliced for examination. Data was analyzed using the SPSS program (ver 12.0). The ANOVA analysis was used to compare and contrast the three groups, and t-test for paired samples was used to evaluate skin-wrinkling before and after experiment. The cut-off p-value of significance was set at p<0.05. Results : 1. Administration of bee venom did not cause serious weight loss or gain. 2. Compared to the control group, the Bee Venom Syringe Group and the Bee Venom Needle Group both showed a decrease in skin wrinkling scale after intervention. Especially, the Bee Venom Syringe Group showed a significant decrease (p<0.05). 3. Compared to the control group, the Bee Venom Syringe Group and the Bee Venom Needle Group both showed an increase in skin elasticity. Especially, the Bee Venom Syringe Group showed a significant increase (p<0.05). 4. No significant change in TEWL was found in the mice in all the three groups before and after experiment. 5. Free radical level was normal in all 15 mice in all the three groups, and anti-oxidative agent was not significantly different across the three groups. 6. The Bee Venom Syringe Group, the Bee Venom Needle Group, and the control group did not show any significant difference in the thickness of epidermis and dermis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and skin wrinkling. The epidermis layer was relatively better preserved in the Bee Venom Syringe Group as compared to the Bee Venom Needle Group and the control group. Conclusion : Direct injection of bee venom on the hairless mouse using a syringe was found to improve wrinkling of the skin and increase skin elasticity but did not show effectiveness on skin dryness due to water loss. The bee venom appears to have suppressive effects on skin wrinkling, one of the symptoms of skin aging, through a process independent of suppression of free radicals or increase of anti-oxidative agent.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.173-182
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• 2006

Recently, the pomegranate seed oil (PSO) has been reported to have various efforts including anti-cancer effect. In this study, we examined the liver-protecting effect of the PSO on the hepatotoxicity induced by $CCl_4$ using the BALB/c mice. The PSO was made from dried seeds of black pomegranate (Punica grantum) by heating and squeezing. The expreimental animals were divided into 3 groups; control group treated with olive oil only, experimental group 1 treated with $CCl_4$ only, and experimental group 2 treated with PSO and $CCl_4$. 24 hours after injection of $CCl_4$ into the peritoneal cavity, we collected the blood samples to measure the level of serological factors; aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. Simultaneously we observed the histological change of liver under the light and electron microscope. As the result, AST and ALT showed $88.7{\pm}14.9IU/L\;and\;22.0{\pm}3.12IU/L$ in the control group, $1963.7{\pm}1212.9IU/L\;and\;4495.4{\pm}2803.6IU/L$ in the experimental group 1, and $432.2{\pm}260.1IU/L\;and\;692.3{\pm}433.1IU/L$ in the experimental group 2. The experimental group 2 showed significant difference as compared with experimental group 1 (P<0.005). In histological study, the experimental group 2 was recovered than experimental group 1 which had abnormal mitochondria, increase of lysosomes, and severe necrosis at the central vein zones. These results indicated that the PSO had the liver protecting effect. However, The further study on the relationship between ingredients of pomegranate seed and liver protecting effect is in need.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

Experimental induction of polycystic ovary (PCO) resembling some aspects of human PCO syndrome was produced using the long-acting compound estradiol valerate (EV). Our previous study on the role of Korean red ginseng total saponins (GTS) in a steroid-induced PCO rat model demonstrated that electro-acupuncture modulates nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration in the ovaries. In fact, the involvement of a neurogenic component in the pathology of PCO-related ovarian dysfunction is preceded by an increase in sympathetic outflow to the ovaries. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that therapeutic GTS administration modulates sympathetic nerve activity in rats with PCO. This was done by analyzing NGF protein and NGF mRNA expression involved in the pathophysiological process underlying steroid-induced PCO. EV injection resulted in significantly higher ovarian NGF mRNA expression in PCO rats compared to control rats, and PCO ovaries were counteracted by GTS administration with significantly lower expression of NGF mRNA compared to EV treated ovaries. However, NGF protein was unaffected in both EV and GTS treated ovaries compared to control rats. These results indicate that EV modulates the neurotrophic state of the ovaries, which may be a component of the pathological process by which EV induces cyst formation and anovulation in rodents.