• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.90-98
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• 2023

Objectives : Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide and is characterized by the loss of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). In a previous in vitro study, we demonstrated that Sihogyeji-tang (SG), Sihosogan-tang (SS), and Sihocheonggan-tang (SC) have the potential to be candidate medicines for PD. This study aimed to compare the neuroprotective effect of SG, SS, and SC using 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophridine (MPTP)-induced PD mouse model. Methods : Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally administered with 30 mg/kg of MPTP for 5 days and orally administered SG, SS and SC for 12 days from the first MPTP injection. Motor function was assessed using the pole test and the rotarod test. Dopaminergic neuronal survival in the SN and striatum was evaluated through tyrosine-hydroxylase immunohistochemistry. Results : MPTP administration resulted in behavioral impairment and dopaminergic neuronal death in the SN and striatum. In the pole test, treatment with SG, SS, and SC alleviated the MPTP-induced motor dysfunction on day 5 and 12. In the rotarod test, SS and SG alleviated the MPTP-induced motor dysfunction on day 5, while only SS showed improvement on day 12. SS and SG significantly protected dopaminergic neurons in the SN from MPTP toxicity, and all three compounds (SG, SS, and SC) showed significant protection in the striatum. Notably, SS demonstrated superior efficacy in suppressing MPTP-induced motor dysfunction and dopaminergic neuronal death compared to SG and SC. Conclusions : These findings suggest that SS is the most effective formula among SG, SS, and SC for PD, indicating its potential role in the treatment of PD.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.31-44
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• 2023

Objectives The purpose of this study is to check the research trends of pharmacopuncture treatment in nerve entrapment syndrome, identify specific techniques, identify which pharmacopuncture are used, and provide directions for future research. Methods This study was conducted based on the five steps suggested by Arksey and O'Malley. We searched five domestic databases (Research Information Sharing Service, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Korean studies Information Service System, Science ON, and KMBASE) and identified studies with key search terms like "nerve entrapment" And "pharmacopuncture" until June 23, 2023. Results Twenty-nine studies were finally selected. among them, 25 papers were non-comparative studies (86.2%). The most common disease was carpal tube syndrome (n=10). All the investigated studies were treated by injecting pharmacopuncture into the pathway of the entraped nerve. The depth of pharmacopuncture injection was mentioned only in 13 studies. As for the pharmacopuncture used, sweet bee venom was 8 studies and bee venom was 6 studies, and about half of the pharmacopuncture manufactured with Bee venom as the main component accounted for. Conclusions This study is a scoping review of the pharmacopuncture treatment for nerve entrapment, which was first conducted in Korea. The treatment is mainly performed on the path way of the entraped nerve. After that, it is necessary to study the standardization of the specific technique method of pharmacopuncture and the uniformity of evaluation criteria.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.1-19
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• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study is to investigate about comparison of Eastern-Western medicine on the acne. Methods : We searched Eastern and Western medicine books for acne. We analyzed these books and examined category, definition, etiology, classification, internal and external methods of treatment of acne. Results : The results were as follows. 1. In Eastern medicine, Acne belongs to the category of the Bunja(粉刺), Jwachang(痤瘡), Pyepungbunja(肺風粉刺). In Western medicine, the other name of Acne is acne vulgaris. 2. In Eastern medicine, the definition of Acne includes manual extraction of comedones and skin appearance. In Western medicine, Acne is a common skin disease during adolescence and a chronic inflammatory disease of pilosebaceous unit of self localization. It is characterized by noninflammatory, open or closed comedones and by inflammatory papules, pustules, and nodules and it affects the areas of skin with the densest population of sebaceous follicles, these areas include the face, neck, back, and the upper part of the chest. 3. In Eastern medicine, the cause and mechanism of Acne arose from the state of internal dampness-heat and spleen-stomach internal qi deficiency due to dietary irregularities and then invaded external pathogen such as wind-dampness-heat-cold-fire in lung meridian lead to qi and blood heat depression stagnation. So it appears in skin. In Western medicine, the etiology and pathogenesis of Acne is clearly not identified, but there are most significant pathogenic factors of blood heat depression stagnation. So it appears in skin. In Western medicine, the etiology and pathogenesis of Acne is clearly not identified, but there are most significant pathogenic factors of Acne; Androgen-stimulated production of sebum, hyperkeratinization and obstruction of sebaceous follicles, proliferation of Propionibacterium acnes and inflammation, abnormaility of skin barrier function, genetic aspects, environmental factors etc. 4. In Eastern medicine, differentiation of syndromes classifies clinical aspects, and cause and mechanism of disease; the former is papular, pustular, cystic, nodular, atrophic, comprehensive type; the latter is lung blood heat, intestine-stomach dampness-heat, phlegm-stasis depression, thoroughfare-conception disharmony, heat toxin type. In Western medicine, it divides into an etiology and invasion period, and clinical aspects; Acne neonatorum, Acne infantum, Acne in puberty and adulthood, Acne venenata; Acne vulgaris, Acne conglobata, Acne fulminans, Acne keloidalis. 5. In Eastern medicine, Internal methods of treatment of Acne are divided into five treatments; general treatments, the treatments of single-medicine and experiential description, the treatments depending on the cause and mechanism of disease, and clinical differentiation of syndromes, dietary treatments. In Western medicine, it is a basic principles that regulation on production of sebum, correction on hyperkeratinization of sebaceous follicles, decrease of Propionibacterium acnes colony and control of inflammation reaction. Internal methods of treatment of Acne are antibiotics, retinoids, hormone preparations etc. 6. In Eastern medicine, external methods of treatment of Acne are wet compress method, paste preparation method, powder preparation method, pill preparation method, acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, ear acupuncture therapy, prevention and notice, and so on. In Western medicine, external method of treatments of Acne are divided into topical therapy and other surgical therapies. Topical therapy is used such as antibiotics, sebum regulators, topical vitamin A medicines etc and other surgical therapies are used such as surgical treatments, intralesional injection of corticosteroids, skin dermabrasion, phototherapy, photodynamic therapy, and so on. Conclusions : Until now, there is no perfect, effective single treatment. We think that Eastern medicine approach and treatment can be helpful to overcome the limitations of acne cure.

• 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.