• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.115-125
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Bee-venom Acupuncture on upper limb spasticity control in stroke patients. Methods : Ten stroke patients with upper limb spasticity were randomly divided into two groups, a Bee-Venom Acupuncture group(group I) and a normal saline group(group II). After 1 week resting phase, this trial was used a cross-over trial. The numbers of Pharmacopuncture treatment were 3 times a week for 3 weeks. Modified Ashworth Scale(MAS), WMFT(Wolf Motor Function Test), The 10-second Test were used for evaluation of spasticity control before experiment, after 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks. Results : Group I showed significant improvement(p<.05) in MAS, WMFT, The 10-second Test. But Group II showed no significant improvement(p<.05) in MAS, WMFT, The 10-second Test. The results showed significant difference in WMFT, The 10-second Test, but no significant difference in MAS between two groups. Conclusions : These results showed that Bee-venom Acupuncture might decrease upper limb spasticity and increase arm motor function in stroke patients. Further studies will be required to examine more cases in the long period for the effect on upper limb in spasticity by Bee-Venom Acupuncture.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.95-103
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• 2009

Objectives : This study was designed to evaluate the effect of treatment Acute peripheral facial paralysis patient with postauricular pain by Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture Methods : This report have been observed among thirty patients with peripheral facial paralysis patient with postauricular pain who admitted to oriental medicine hospital with Daejeon university During 11-01-2008 to 08-31-2009. These patients were diveided into two groups; One was control group that was treated general oriental medical treatment(Group I) and The other was treated Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture in the posterior ear with general oriental medical treatment. (Group II) Results : 1. Group II was more effective than Group I in the VAS score after 1st, 2nd, 3rd Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture treatmenton posterior ear about postauricular pain. 2. In Group II compared with Group I, postauricular pain duration was reduced. 3. As a result of evaluation by using Yanagihara score, they were not significant score within two groups after final treament. Conclusions : Bee Venom Phannacopuncture on peripheral facial paralysis patient with postauricular pain in the posterior ear was more effective in reducing the pain.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.41-50
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• 2013

Objectives : This study was performed to compare the effects of Shinbaro pharmacopuncture therapy and bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy in lumbar disc herniation Methods : We compared treatment efficacy of 12 patients with Shinbaro pharmacopuncture therapy and 10 patients with bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy, all of whom were diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation using computed tomography(CT) or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). We performed a retrospective comparison and analysis during the course of 21 days since admission. To evaluate the treatment efficacy, we recorded the temperatures of the opposite back, hip, and legs with visual analog scale(VAS, back and legs), pain rating scale(PRS), Oswestry disability index(ODI) and digital infrared thermal imaging(DITI) based on patients' medical records. Results : Both treatments were effective in reducing pain and improving functions for lumbar disc herniation patients in terms of VAS, PRS, ODI, DITI. Shinbaro pharmacopuncture group showed slightly better results than the bee venom pharmacopuncture group, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions : For the treatment of lumbar disc herniation, it is suggested that Shinbaro pharmacopuncture therapy is thought to be as effective as bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy without side effects, although further study would be necessary.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2005

Objectives : To observe physiological anti-body effects of anti-BV, acute toxic response, measurement of $LD_{50}$, and the effects of anti-body were evaluated. Methods : $LD_{50}$ of Anti-Bee Venom were measured, and to analyze acute toxic responses, weight, and the anti-body effects various concentrations of Anti-BV were diluted and the survival rate was measured. Cell blood count (CBC), liver, spleen, and kidney pathologies were observed from the histological aspects. Results : Experiment was conducted to observe Anti-BV as the anti-body to the bee venom and the following results were obtained : 1.anti-BV was injected intraperitoneally and no toxic responses were witnessed. All of the experiment subjects stayed alive during the experiment, making $LD_{50}$ analysis impossible. 2.Anti-BV was injected intraperitoneally in mice and no significant weight changes were measured between the control group and the experiment groups. 3. Measuring the concentration dependent survival rate, the highest survival rate was at the concentration of $1.25{\times}10^2mg/kg$(1/2.000) for Anti-BV. 4. No particular results were shown in the CBC test. 5. Observation of changes in the organ tissues, Anti-BV was found to suppress blood stasis in the liver and inhibit necrosis of the cells. Conclusion : Above results suggest that Anti-BV doesn't cause any toxic responses in the body and works as an anti-body to the bee venom. Further studies must be followed to secure the findings.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.129-135
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• 2005

Objective : This study was designed to investigate the effect of bee venom and Scolopendrae Corpus herbal acupuncture on the feeling of cold on legs. Methods : The patient was managed by bee venom and Scolopendrae Corpus herbal acupuncture, body acupuncture and herbal medicine. The following points were selected : BL40, BL57, BL60; SP6. After bee venom and Scolopendrae Corpus herbal acupuncture treatment, body acupuncture was performed at the same points. We evaluated the patient through Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) and Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging(D.I.T.I). Results : After 12 times of treatment, the patient showed that clinical symptoms was decreased, VAS changed from 10 to 3 and there was also improvement change on D.I.T.I.. Conclusions : According to the results, bee venom and Scolopendrae Corpus herbal acupuncture may have the effects on the feeling of cold on legs. But further studies and required to prove the effects of this methods.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.207-219
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• 2004

Objectives : We investigated to find the relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of IL4R, IL-10 and bee venom therapy efficacy in patients with RA treated with bee venom for 8 weeks. Methods : Korean RA patients (n=114) and healthy subjects (n=109) were included in this prospective study. Korean bee venom was dissolved in saline (diluted 1:3000) and administrated into acupuncture points. Bee venom therapy was applied twice a week and continued for 8 weeks. The clinical response was evaluated using various assessments before and after treatment. Disease severity was measured by determining the number of tender joints and swollen joints. Laboratory studies included ESR, CRP, and rheumatoid factor. Genotyping for IL-4R and IL-10 polymorphism was done by pyrosequencing analysis. Results : 1. In IL4R genotypes, there was significant difference between RA ptitients tind controls group. 2. In IL4R genotypes, there was significant difference among Good, Mild and Bad responders to in RA patients, but in the frequency of alleles and carriers, there were no significant difference. 3. There was no significant difference between RA patients and controls group in IL-10 gene genotypes. 4. In IL-10 genotypes, there was no significant difference among Good, Mild and Bad responders to in RA patients. 5. There was no significant difference in the improvement of ESR, CRP and KHAQ scores after bee venom therapy in RA patients among the IL4R or IL-10 genotypes. Conclusions : In IL-4R genotypes, there was significant difference between RA patients and control group, and among Good, Mild and Bad responders in RA patients. However, in IL-10 genotypes, there was no significant difference between RA patients and controls group and among Good, Mild and Bad responders in RA patients.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.103-108
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• 2010

Objectives : This study is to report the percentage of localized itching which occurred, when we injected to patients with Sweet Bee Venom(Sweet BV). Methods : We investigated 374 patients who had injected with Sweet BV in our clinic from February 15. 2009 to April 30, 2010. We checked the number and percentage of patients who occured localized itching on injection area. Then we analyzed those according to times in treatment, the body parts of injection and treatment dosage. Results and Conclusion : Localized itching was lower by 1.60% in the first treatment with Sweet BV. However localized itching was 12.83% in the whole course of treatment, which showed a similar incidence of 13% in Bee Venom. Therefore it can be interpreted that Sweet BV may help suppress the immune responses such as itching in the initial treatment, but the occurrence of local immune responses of Sweet BV may be similar to that of Bee Venom in continued treatment. We suppose that we should be careful of the occurrence of local immune responses as Bee Venom at least until the fourth treatment in clinical application with Sweet BV, although localized itching did not occur in the first treatment. Also we should be careful of treatment with Sweet BV in body parts, such as wrist, hand, chest and abdominal, because the percentage of localized itching was relatively high in those parts.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.324-329
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• 2006

Neuropathic pain syndromes resulted from peripheral nerve injury appear to be resistant to conventional analgesics like opioids. However, it has been demonstrated that acupuncture including aqua-acupuncture may be effective in managing neuropathic pain. The present study was conducted to determine if bee venom injection into acupoint ihibits neuropathic pain, which is difficult to be treated by usual analgesics. Under pentobarbital anesthesia, male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to neuropathic surgery. Two weeks after nerve injury, mechanical and cold allodynia were tested in order to evaluate the antiallodynic effects of bee venom injection into an acupoint. Intraperitoneal injection of morphine inhibited mechanical allodynia dose-dependently. Bee venom injected into Zusanli acupoint significantly inhibited mechanical and cold allodynia. These results suggest that bee venom-acupuncture as well as morphine is very effective to inhibit mechanical allodynia.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.256-263
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• 2002

Objective : This study is to report the radiological change after bee venom therapy about the patient of sequestrated disc. Methods : there was a report that the bee venom therapy was effective treatment on the patient of extruded or sequestrated disc. So we treated the patient who was diagnosed as sequestrated disc and hospitalized, and investigated the change of DITI, simple X-rays and MRI before and after treatment. Results : There was remarkable improvement in condition of the patient who had extruded or sequestrated disc after treated by bee venom therapy. It showed that the region of sequestrated L4-5 dise remarkably decreased in MRI, degree of scoliosis decreased from 17 degree to 15 degree in simple X-ray and the difference of right and left became equal in DITI through the follow-up survey. Conclusions : There was reports that bee venom therapy had antinflammatory and antalgic effect and was effective in treating patient of sequestrated disc and in curing pain, functional disorder, and clinical symptom of HIVD patients by means of grade index of lumbago. We think that the result of this study will be supporting data (that will be able to) proves more objectively the change following the improvement of condition with radiological check.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.61-73
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to assess anti-depressive effects of Bee Venom(BV) on an Animal Model of Depression induced immobility stress. Methods : There was 2 pre-experiments MTT(3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and Western blot test and 3 main experiments ; forced swimming test, tail suspension test and Y-maze task. Male rats were used for main experiment. The subject was divided into 4 groups(1. control group injected only saline, without immobility stress 2. Negative group injected saline after 2 hours immobility stress 3. Positive group injected Amitriptyline after 2 hours immobility stress 4. BV group injected Bee Venom after 2 hours immobility stress). Each group consisted of 6 rats. Forced swimming test, tail suspension test, Y-maze task were used to evaluate anti-depressive effect of Bee Venom. Results : In MTT assay, as the density of BV increased, the existence rate of primary neuronal cell increased. In Western blot test, the density of CREB and AKT was increasing as time went by. In forced swimming test, BV group showed immobility decreased more than Normal group and Positive group. In tail suspension test, Normal group and Positive group showed immobility decreased more than BV group. In Y-maze task, BV group showed immobility decreased more than Normal group, but Positive group showed immobility decreased more than BV group. Conclusions : These results suggest that Bee Venom may have anti-depressive effect on depression.