• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.135-146
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to report the effect of live leech(hirudo medicinalis) therapy with oriental medication on the patient with regional rheumatoid arthritis. The patient had resistant to DMARDs so she was in the debilitating condition and suffered from edema, pain, stiffness of joint and purpura before live leech(hirudo medicinalis) therapy. Methods : The regional rheumatoid arthritis patient had edema, pain, stiffness of joint and purpura on right foot. We treated the patient with live leech(hirudo medicinalis) therapy and oriental medicine. Results : The symptoms of regional rheumatoid arthritis was improved through live leech(hirudo medicinalis) therapy and oriental medicine. The patient maintains her condition with oriental medicine treatment after stopped all DMARDs such as MTX(methotrexate) and NSAIDs. After this treatment the patient's walking difficulty has been improved. Conclusions : This study shows that live leech(hirudo medicinalis) therapy and oriental medicine can elevate the regional rheumatoid arthritis patient's quality of life with continuous health care and treatment for major problem. For more accurate studies, further studies would be needed with more cases.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2000

The medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, has been used for salvage of the venous-congested flap following reconstructive surgery, with increasing frequency during the last two decades. Medicinal leech therapy is a safe, efficacious, economical, and well-tolerated intervention. The flap salvage with leeching occurs in approximately 70% of cases, and leeches need to be used as early as possible. At the time of the bite, evacuation of blood and injection of the leech saliva products, including anticoagulants and inhibitors of platelet aggregation, maintain capillary circulation of the flap, and then venous capillary return is established across the wound by angiogenesis. One of the salivary products, hirudin, represents the first parenteral anticoagulant introduced since the discovery of heparin. We analyzed two cases in which flap salvage with leeching was attempted, and reviewed medicinal leech therapy on the basis of our experiences and literature review. This has not been documented in the head and neck surgery literature in our country.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.151-163
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• 2002

Traditionally, the Leech (Hirudo) has been used for the treatment of cerebral vascular diseases, cardiovascular diseases, women's diseases, etc. In Chinese medicine, usually Chinese medical doctors use Whitmania pigra Whitman among several species in their clinics. Because it was considered as toxic animal medicine according to related books, they used it in a parched form with Talcum powder, and this is the most general type for medication. Nowadays, however, many clinical doctors regard it as secure, so they tend to use it naturally in a capsule, in large quantities, and more frequently. We have no doubt that it is useful for diseases connected with blood stasis, especially including pulmonary diseases and allergic diseases, so we urge that many Korean oriental medical doctors use it practically in their clinics.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.248-252
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• 1996

The epidermal organ of the leech contains a complex glycoprotein molecule of mucus. The mucus excreted from annelids plays Significant role in protection against desiccation and parasites. Mucus from the Korean native leech, H. nipponia, was investigated for biochemical characteristics for possible development of biomaterials of cosmetic and pharmaceutical agents. The leech skin mucus was heavily glycosylated mucin-like protein with a high molecular weight comprised 80% carbohydrate and 20% protein. Threonine, serine, and glycine were the major components of the isolated protein and these accounted for 50% of total amino acids. The carbohydrate portion contained glucosamine, galactosamine. galactose, glucose. mannose and sialic acid in oligosaccharide form linked with threonine and serine residues of the glycoprotein.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1997.04a
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• pp.80.2-80
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• 1997

No Abstract, See Full Text

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.136-138
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• 2003

Purpose : A clinical case of diabetic foot-wound repair using Hirudo medicinalis therapy and its application is reported and discussed. Methods : The subject was a sixty-six-year-old woman diagnosed with a non-healing wound indicating the amputation of her right diabetic foot. Instead, Hirudo medicinalis therapy was performed twelve times over forty days, twice a week. The transition of wound closure was observed with the naked eye, and the plethysmogram was measured at the beginning and end of the treatment period. Results : The wound contracted with decreased exudate, collagen-like connective tissue sprouted, and then the wound gradually closed. The initial value (-0.08) of the dicrotic elastic index rose to -0.03. Conclusion : Hirudo medicinalis therapy had a positive effect on the wound repair, without a negative effect on the circulation, allowing the foot to be saved. It is necessary to investigate its wound repair mechanism for the further development of the Sahyul method.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.261-264
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• 1995

The lipids of a Korean native blood-sucking leech (Hirudo nipponia) were isolated and analyzed. Cholesterol, fatty acids, triglycerides, glycerylether diester and cholesteryl esters were found from epidennal extracts. The major fatty acids in the leech skin were $C_{16:0}$, $C_{18:0}$, $C_{20:1}$. $C_{20:3}$ components. These components were derived from cholesteryl esters, glycerides, fatty acids and other polar lipids. After 60 days fasting, cholesterol, fatty acids and triglycerides in the skin were reduced in number and the total fatty acid composition was changed slightly. The data of total fatty acids in fasted and fed leech showed that medium-chain fatty acids were more affected than long-chain fatty acids. Other trace fatty acids appeared to be decreased by fasting.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.103-120
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• 2010

Objective : To review the trend of the study related to Leech therapy and to establish the hereafter direction for the study on Leech therapy. Methods : I reviewed and analyzed all the theses published in Domestic and Foreign research institution from 1990 to 2009. Results : The following results were obtained in this study. 1. Analyzed number of theses published, there was no significance per year. 2. Classified by theme of journal, journals related to surgery were most(41 journals, 75.92%) among 54 kinds. 3. Classified by theses by research method and thesis types, case report accounted for nearly twothirds (52 pieces, 68.42%) of all theses and consideration of document was next(9 pieces, 11.84%). 4. With the most case of venous congestion after plastic and reconstructive surgery(33 pieces, 63.46%), leech therapy was effective on illnesses such as haematoma, macroglossia, purpura, varicous vein, avulsion injury, neurovascular compression, diabetic neuropathy, penoscrotal oedema, buerger's disease, rheumatoid arthritis. 5. Two most appeared adverse effects were anemia and infection. Immediate blood transfusion was done for recovering anemia and prophylactic 3rd generation antibiotics to infection were emphasized in more than half of case reports. 6. All of consideration of documents was retrospective study of cases related leech therapy and 3 pieces of them emphasized prophyratic antibiotic treatment for preventing infection. 7. The study of clinical trail type started first in 2002 and osteoarthritis of knee and carpometacarpal joint were main target. As see above result, Leech therapy was effective cure and could be used in disease induced by venous congestion. And I think that it is necessary to perform additional study related to solution of problems about leech therapy and protocol for using in clinical practice.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyse research trends about medical leech in the last 10 years. Methods: We searched the papers with key words of 'medical leech', '水蛭' in China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database (CNKI), Korean traditional knowledge portal, DBPIA, KISS. We classified the papers by year and content. Results: 1. Result of the classification on the basis of the research methods, 50 studies are clinical case reports, 301 studies are experimental paper, 599 studies are clinical trial study, 219 studies are literature review. 2. Result of the classification on the basis of the research topics, 454 studies are the effect of anticoagulant research, 84 studies are diabetes and renal disease research, 194 studies are pharmacological properties research, and 43 studies are effect of allergic and anti-inflammatory research. 3. The proportion of the coagulation effect study tends to decrease every year since 2006. 4. Leech research tends to decrease in last 3 years. 5. Recently, there are many research in psychiatry, orthopedic diseases and beauty. 6. There are 10 studies related to leech in Korean. Conclusions: The researches of medical leech are actively done. The diversity of subjects is getting wider and richer.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.601-611
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• 2001

Objectives : We aimed to identify the dose-dependent inhibitory effects of Cheonsagunja-tang(喘四君子湯), leech(Hirudo medicinalis/水蛭) roasted with Ephedrae Herba(麻黃) on the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-16, GM-CSF involved in the asthma model. Methods : In the study BEAS-2B cell lines, human epithelial cells were used. These cells were stimulated with tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-${\alpha}$ for artificial inflammatory expression. ${\beta}$-actin messenger RNA(mRNA) was used by internal standard. After 24 hours of the Cheonsagunja-tang, leech-treatment, total cellular RNAs were collected treating RNA zol directly on the living cells. Then the transcriptional activities of IL-6, 16 and GM-CSF were measured by RT-PCR with electrophoresis. Results: In the Cheonsagunja-tang study, the mRNA expression of IL-6 showed 30% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control group in the $100{\mu}l/ml$ category(p<0.005). In the IL-16, there was 26%, 31% and 31% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control groups in the $4{\mu}l/ml$, $20{\mu}l/ml$ and $100{\mu}l/ml$ categories, respectively(p<0.05). In the GM-CSF, the experimental group had 56% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control group in the $100{\mu}l/ml$ category(p<0.001). In other concentrations, there was no inhibitory effect. In the leech study, the mRNA expression of IL-6 showed 37% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control group in the $100{\mu}l/ml$ category(p<0.001). In the IL-16, there was 63% and 67% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control groups in the $20{\mu}/ml$ and $100{\mu}/ml$ categories, respectively(p<0.001). In the GM-CSF, there was 64% and 68% transcriptional inhibitory effect compared to the control groups in the $20{\mu}l/ml$ and $100{\mu}l/ml$ categories, respectively(p<0.001). In other concentrations, there was no inhibitory effect. Conclusions : This study shows that Cheonsagunja-tang and leech roasted with Ephedrae Herba have dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-16 and GM-CSF in BEAS-2B cell lines, human epithelial cells.