• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.501-508
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• 2008

Anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of Clematidis Radix (CR)-distillates were investigated in three different pain animal models. Highly purified distillate of CR was injected to Zusanli (ST36) acupoint, called CR herb-acupuncture in the Korean traditional medicine. In tail flick latency test, the CR herb-acupuncture treatment did not show a significant effect of relieving acute phasic pain. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of CR herb-acupuncture, inflammatory pain was induced by subcutaneous injection of formalin to the plantar tissue or intra-articular injection of carrageenan to the tibio-tarsal joint in the rats. And the medicinal effect of CR herb-acupuncture was evaluated by analyzing pain behavior such as licking or biting behavior, or by measuring weight distribution ratio between two foot and ankle circumference. In the rat formalin test, the analgesic effect of CR herb-acupuncture was more pronounced in the late phase (for 20 min after the early phase) than in the early phase (for the first 10 min post formalin injection). It also significantly alleviated the carrageenan-induced monoarthritis, in terms of weight distribution ratio and ankle edema. These results revealed that CR herb-acupuncture was effective to treat the inflammatory pain and could be used as an analgesic treatment with an antiinflammatory effect.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.67-77
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• 2004

Objectives : Many studies have reported that acupuncture analgesia was mediated through the activation of peripheral and central opioid receptors. However, there has been little electrophysiological study on the adrenergic mechanism of acupuncture analgesia in chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the role of adrenoceptors in the production of acupuncture analgesia in the chronic pain model. Methods : In the rat with chronic inflammation and nerve injury, dorsal horn cell (DHC) responses to afferent C fiber stimulation were used as a pain index and changes in electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia were recorded before and after intravenous administration of selective adrenoceptor antagonists. EA stimulations (2Hz, 0.5msec, 3mA) were applied to the contralateral Zusanli point for 30 min. Results : EA stimulation induced long-lasting inhibition of DHC responses in the rat with chronic inflammation and nerve injury. In both models of inflammation and neuropathic pain, α-adrenoceptor antagonist (phentolamine) significantly attenuated an inhibitory effect of EA on DHC responses. Selective α2-adrenoceptor antagonist (yohimbine) also had a similar suppressive action on DHC responses to that of phentolamine. However, β-adrenoceptor antagonist (propranolol) did not have any inhibitory effect on DHC responses in either model of chronic pain. Conclusions : These experimental findings suggest that in rats with chronic pain, EA stimulation with low frequency and high intensity produced an analgesic effect which was mediated through an activation of α2-adrenoceptors.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.197-209
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• 2004

Objectives : The purpose of this case-control research was to investigate the effects of acupuncture stimulation on autonomic nervous system for patients with HRV and to find out relationship with anti-stress effects. Methods : The study group consists of 24 patients with self-recognition of stress as the case group, and 20 normal person as the control group by similar age. We measured HRV of case and control groups before acupuncture stimulation, prick acupuncture in Hegu(LI4), Taichong(Liv3), Shenme(H7), Neiguan(P6), Zusanli(S36). After treating for 20 minutes, measurement values of HRV and PSV were compared for pre-acupuncture and post-acupuncture. Results : 1. LF norm, HF norm, LF/HF between the case and control groups were significant different in HRV before acupuncture stimulation in the 1st experiment. 2. HRT, SDNN, SDSD, LF norm, HF norm, and LF/HF of the case group were significant different in HRV after acupuncture stimulation in the 1st experiment. HRT of the case group was significantly different in HRV after acupuncture stimulation in the 1st experiment. 3. LF norm, HF norm, LF/HF of the case group were significant different between the 1st and 2nd experiment in HRV before acupuncture stimulation. 4. LF norm, HF norm, and LF/HF were significant different between the 1st and 2nd experiment in HRV of patients whose symptoms improved. But HRV of patients whose symptoms unimproved didn't show significant difference. Conclusion : The results suggest that acupuncture stimulation is associated with changed activity in the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Measurement values of HRV is suitable to estimate the activity of automatic nervous system.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.55-66
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• 2003

Objectives : The aim of this experiment is to investigate the effects of moxibustion on SP6, Sp9 and BL28 in uranyl acetate-induced acute renal failure in rats. Methods : To induce experimental acute renal failure, uranyl acetate was intraperitoneally injected to rats by 5mg/kg. 3 days later moxibustion treatment was done at SP6, Sp9 and BL28 bilaterally of the rats. And then 4 days later, we measured rats' body weight, kidney weight, serum BUN, creatinine and serum electrolytic levels(Na, K and Cl). Results : In the SP6 group, serum BUN were significantly decreased (p<0.01). In the BL28 group, serum Na level were significantly decreased (p<0.05). In the $SP6{\cdot}SP9$ group, serum creatinine level were significantly increased but serum Na level, serum Cl level were significantly decreased(p<0.05). In the $SP6{\cdot}BL28$ group, hypertrophy index of kidney and serum creatinine level were significantly decreased(p<0.01) and serum BUN were marginally significantly decreased (0.1

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.715-723
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• 1999

Bee venom (BV) has been traditionally applied to relieve pain and to cure inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and neuritis. While several investigators have evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of BV treatment, the anti-nociceptive effect of BV treatment on inflammatory pain is not reported. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the analgesic effect of BV treatment using Freund's adjuvant induced chronic arthritis model. Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis has been used as an experimental animal model for RA in humans to assess the efficacy of the anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs. In this study, subcutaneous BV treatment (1mg/kg/day) produced significantly reductions of symptoms related to arthritic pain (i.e. mechanical hyperalgesia and thermal hyperalgesia). The anti-nociceptive effect of BV was observed from at least 12 days after BV treatment. Furthermore, BV treatment significantly suppressed adjuvant induced Fos expression in lumbar spinal cord. We also found that local injection of BV into near the inflammatory site (especially Zusanli-acupoint) showed more potent analgesic effect on arthritic pain rather than distant injection of BV from inflammatory site (arbitrary side of back). The present study demonstrates that BV treatment has anti-nociceptive effect on arthritis induced inflammatory pain. The analgesic effect of BV on RA is probably mediated by the effect of BV itself or possible other mechanism such as counter-irritation. Furthermore, it is possible that BV acupuncture is one of the promising candidates for long-term therapy of RA.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.749-752
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• 2005

We investigated the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of cyclooxygenase in the spinal cord of acute inflammatory pain model. Inflammation was induced by an intraplantar injection of 1% carrageenan into the right hind paw of Sprague-Dawley. Bilateral 2 Hz EA stimulation with 0.5 mA, 1 mA and 3 mA were delivered at those acupoints corresponding to Zusanli and Sanyinjiao in man via the needles in carrageenan-injected rats. Three hours after carrageenan injection, effects of EA on cyclooxygenase (COX) expression were observed in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord using immunohistochemical method. The immunoreaction of COX-1 tended to increase in the superficial laminae and the neck of the dorsal horn as compared with normal. The COX-2 immunoreaction in the carrageenan-injected rat was also significantly increased in the all regions of the dorsal horn as compared with normal one. However, COX-1 immunoreaction in carrageenan-injected rat were decreased in the superficial laminae and neck of the dorsal horn by low intensity of EA stimulation. Except high intensity of EA stimulation in the superficial laminae, COX-2 expression was attenuated in all regions of the dorsal horn by all types of EA treatment. It is concluded that EA treatment may attenuate inflammatory pain in carrageenan-injected rat through modulating expression of COX-2 in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.13-33
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• 2002

This study was examined for effects of acupuncture of Zusanli (ST36) on the facial thermography in health subjects. The volunteers who participating in this study had taken rest for 20 - 30 mins in room temperature (23-$25^{\circ}C$) before the examination and informed them what to prohibit smoking, drinking and administration of drug for the previous day. The thermography of face was taken using Infra-Red Imaging System (IR 2000, MEDI-CORE Co., Korea) by time interval of 15 minutes at 15 min before, just before and 15 min after, 30 min after and 45 min after acupuncture stimulation. Acupuncture was applied to the left ST36 for 30 mins. The results showed that acupuncture of ST36 significantly decreased the temperature of all the areas of facial surface comparing to those of control group. Also, it was observed that the quantities of thermal changes following acupuncture of ST36 been increased significantly at the A1, A4, A6, A7 and A9 ROIs (region of interest) comparing that of control group. Observed the thermography classified by ROI, it was clear the fact that acupuncture of ST36 could modulate the specific areas concerning to the facial pathway of Stomach Meridian, because the thermal responses following acupuncture of ST36 were specific at the A1, A2, A5 and A9 ROIs, relatively. These results suggest that acupuncture of ST36 may modulate thermal distributions and changes of facial areas concerned with Stomach Meridian.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.108-117
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• 2003

Objective : The central opioid mechanism of acupuncture analgesia has been fairly well documented in acute behavioral experiments, but little electrophysiological study has been performed on the peripheral mechanism and subtypes of opioid receptors responsible for acupuncture-induced antinociception in chronic animal models. In the present electrophysiological experiment, we studied the peripheral mechanism and opioid receptor subtypes which Were implicated in electroacupuncture-induced antinociception in the rat with chronic inflammatory and neurogenic pain. Methods : In the rat with complete Freund's adjuvant-induced inflammation and spinal nerve injury, dorsal horn cell responses to afferent C fiber stimulation were recorded before and after electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation applied to the contralateral Zusanli point for 30 minutes. Also studied Were the effects of specific opioid receptor antagonists and naloxone methiodide, which can not cross the blood-brain barrier, on EA-induced inhibitory action. Results : EA-induced inhibitory action was significantly attenuated by naloxone methiodide, suggesting that EA-induced inhibition was mediated through peripheral mechanism. Pretreatment, but not posttreatment of naltrexone and spinal application significantly blocked EA-induced inhibitory actions. In inflammatory and neurogenic pain models, ${\mu}-$ and ${\delta}-opioid$ receptor antagonists (${\beta}-funaltrexamine$ & naltrindole) significantly reduced EA-induced inhibitory action, but ${\kappa}-opioid$ receptor antagonist had weak inhibitory effect on EA-induced antinociception. Conclusion : These results suggest that 2Hz EA-stimulation induced antinoeiceptive action is mediated through peripheral as well as central mechanism, and mainly through ${\mu}-$ and ${\delta}-opioid$ receptors.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2008

A 5-year-old male Chihuahua with oral discomfort due to the presence of a maxillary acanthomatous epulis was referred to the acupuncture service at the Veterinary Medical Center of the University of Florida. For the patient, acupuncture treatments were performed for 11 sessions, at 1 month intervals with Chinese herbal medicine. The acupuncture points and Chinese herbal medicine used were selected based on TCM principles. The selected acupoints were Zusanli(ST36), Fenglong(ST40), Gongsun(SP4), Sanyinjiao(SP6), Pishu(BL20), Weishu(BL21), Taichang(LIV3), and Baihui(GV20). In addition, the Chinese herbal formulas Nei Xiao Wan and Si Jun Zi Tang were chosen. After one year of acupuncture and administration of Chinese herbal medicine, the acanthomatous epulis was remarkably decreased in size. It is considered that the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine would be useful treatments of canine acanthomatous epulis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.657-666
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• 2017

Paclitaxel, a chemotherapeutic drug, induces severe peripheral neuropathy. Gabapentin (GBT) is a first line agent used to treat neuropathic pain, and its effect is mediated by spinal noradrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Electro-acupuncture (EA) is used for treating various types of pain via its action through spinal opioidergic and noradrenergic receptors. Here, we investigated whether combined treatment of these two agents could exert a synergistic effect on paclitaxel-induced cold and mechanical allodynia, which were assessed by the acetone drop test and von Frey filament assay, respectively. Significant signs of allodynia were observed after four paclitaxel injections (a cumulative dose of 8 mg/kg, i.p.). GBT (3, 30, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) or EA (ST36, Zusanli) alone produced dose-dependent anti-allodynic effects. The medium and highest doses of GBT (30 and 100 mg/kg) provided a strong analgesic effect, but they induced motor dysfunction in Rota-rod tests. On the contrary, the lowest dose of GBT (3 mg/kg) did not induce motor weakness, but it provided a brief analgesic effect. The combination of the lowest dose of GBT and EA resulted in a greater and longer effect, without inducing motor dysfunction. This effect on mechanical allodynia was blocked by spinal opioidergic (naloxone, $20{\mu}g$), or noradrenergic (idazoxan, $10{\mu}g$) receptor antagonist, whereas on cold allodynia, only opioidergic receptor antagonist blocked the effect. In conclusion, the combination of the lowest dose of GBT and EA has a robust and enduring analgesic action against paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain, and it should be considered as an alternative treatment method.