• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.16-25
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• 2000

Objective : Acupuncture and Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture stimuli have long been used to cure human diseases. However, the exact physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved remain undiscovered. Thus, many attempts have been made to show the scientific mechanisms involved. The effects of acupuncture and Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture, which was known to date, as follow; effective circulation of body blood system and proliferation of leucocytes. Methods : In this study, we have applied acupuncture and Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture stimuli to mouse on Sinsuhyul, a stimulative point of oriental medicine, to see effects on the expression of cytokine $IL-1{\beta}$. Mice were treated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) for inflammation induction and then reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using each primer set were performed to trace the amounts of mRNA. Results : 1. $IL-1{\beta}$ was not expressed in LPS-nontreated mice at 15 to 60 min after acupuncture-stimuli. However, expression occurred after 3hrs. 2. $IL-1{\beta}$ was specifically expressed in LPS-treated mice at 30 min after acupuncture-stimuli. 3. $IL-1{\beta}$ was expressed in LPS-nontreated mice at 30 min after Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture stimuli, however, not expressed at 60, 180 min. 4. $IL-1{\beta}$ was gradually expressed in LPS-treated mice at 15 to 180 min after Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture stimuli. Conclusions : $IL-1{\beta}$ in LPS-treated mice was more effective than that of LPS-nontreated mice. We are now in the process of elucidating the immunological action mechanism of acupuncture and Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture stimuli. And cytokine $IL-1{\beta}$ can be used not only as a basis of the effects of acupuncture and Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture but also as a diagnosis guide through the immunological actions of those.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 1998

Acupuncture and Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture stimuli have long been used to cure human diseases. However, it still remains to be unkown on its action mechanism, physiolosical and biochemical aspects. Thus, many attempts were made to show the scientific background covering the above mentioned mechanisms. Most recent studies show that these tests improve blood circulatory system and increase leucocyte counts. In this study, we have applied the acupuncture stimuli to mouse Sinsu(BL-23), which is a stimulative point of oriental medicine, to see if cytokine such as IL-6 can be detected. Mice were treated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) for inflammation induction, and then reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using each primer set was performed to trace the amounts of mRNA. The results are summarized as follows ; 1. IL-6 was not temporarily expressed in normal mice 15 min after the acupuncture was pulled out. But, it started to show a feeble expression at 30 min after the removal of acupuncture and it started to reduce at 1h. after the acupuncture was pulled out 2. IL-6 was specifically expressed in LPS-treated mouse 30 min after the acupuncture was pulled out. The transcriptional expressions of LPS-treated mice were more effective than those of normal mice at 30 min after the removal of acupuncture 3. IL-6 was not temporarily expressed in normal mice 15 min after Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture. But it expressed most highly at 30 min, and the transcriptional expressions of IL-6 was continued to 3 h. 4. IL-6 was not expressed in all the time after Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture in LPS-treated mice. Therefore, a follow-up of cytokine IL-6 can be used not only a basis of the effect of acupuncture and Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture but a diagnosis giude through the immunological action of thats. And, it is suggested that cytokine's expression by Acupuncture and Radix Astragali aqua-acupuncture stimulation should be continuously elucidated.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2001

Induction of phase II enzymes such as quinone reductase (QR) or glutathione S-transferase (GST) is considered a major mechanism of protection against initiation of carcingenesis. This study was desinged to investigate the potential of Astragali Radix Aqua-acupuncture Solution (ARAS) to induce phase II enzymes and glutathione (GSH) in murine hepatoma cells grown in microtiter plate wells. ARAS was potent inducers of QR activity. ARAS was induced about 2.6-fold at concentration of $5{\times}$. In addition, GST activity was increased with ARAS. GSH levels were increased about 1.2-fold with ARAS at concentration of $0.1{\times}$. These results suggested that ARAS may act as blocking agents against carcinogenesis by induction of phase II marker enzymes.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1998.10b
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• pp.352.1-352
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• 1998

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2001.09a
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• pp.34-34
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• 2001