Artemisiae argyi herbal acupuncture of Hapgok (LI4) ameliorates TNBS-induced colitis in rats

합곡에 대한 애엽 약침이 흰쥐 대장염 완화에 미치는 효과

Objectives : Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract was identified mainly for diarrhea, stomachache, hemafecia. The source and pathologic mechanism about ulcerative colitis and crohn's disease are still unknown but stress, infection, a genetic factor, environmental factors etc. may be the cause of chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract recently. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effects of herbal acupuncture with Artemisiae Argyi for the treatment to intestinal disease in the rat with 2, 4, 6 - trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) induced colitis. Methods : Artemisiae Argyi Herbal acupunctures were infected in HapGok (LI4) which is used to treat for intestinal disease in clinic. All animals were subjected to the injection of saline (300 ${\mu}l$, 500 ${\mu}l$) for a study control and TNBS (300 ${\mu}l$, 500 ${\mu}l$) into the lumen of the colon, 8cm proximal to the anus through the intestine. Artemisiae Agryi' Herbal (20 mg/ml, 0.4 ml) acupunctures were injected to the LI4 (both hands) at the secondary injection time of TNBS in rats. And body weight, RBC count, WBC count, total protein, Paw edema rate, rate of protein leakage into CMC-pouch fluid, IgG levels and IgM levels were observed to study the effects of Artemisiae Argyi' Herbal acupuncture in HapGok (Ll4). Results : Artemisiae Argyi' Herbal acupuncture in HapGok (Ll4) on TNBS-induced colitis inhibit the body weight lose rate but not RBC and WBC count. Furthermore, it inhibited the reduction of total protein concentration, paw edema, rate of protein leakage into CMC-pouch fluid, IgG levels and IgM levels. Conclusions : Herbal acupuncture with Artemisiae Argyi helps recover the TNBS-induced colonic damage and may be an important method for treatment of the colitis.