Molecules and Cells

Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology (한국분자세포생물학회)
권호 표지

Molecular Changes in Remote Tissues Induced by Electro-Acupuncture Stimulation at Acupoint ST36

  • Rho, Sam-Woong (College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Choi, Gi-Soon (Department of East-West Medicine Graduate School, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Ko, Eun-Jung (College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Kim, Sun-Kwang (College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Lee, Young-Seop (College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Lee, Hye-Jung (College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Hong, Moo-Chang (College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Shin, Min-Kyu (College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Min, Byung-Il (Department of East-West Medicine Graduate School, Kyunghee University) ;
  • Kee, Hyun-Jung (Division of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University) ;
  • Lee, Cheol-Koo (Division of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University) ;
  • Bae, Hyun-Su (College of Oriental Medicine, Kyunghee University)
  • Received : 2007.06.04
  • Accepted : 2007.11.29
  • Published : 2008.04.30
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Abstract

To investigate the effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) treatment on regions remote from the application, we measured cellular, enzymatic, and transcriptional activities in various internal tissues of healthy rats. The EA was applied to the well-identified acupoint ST36 of the leg. After application, we measured the activity of natural killer cells in the spleen, gene expression in the hypothalamus, and the activities of antioxidative enzymes in the hypothalamus, liver and red blood cells. The EA treatment increased natural killer cell activity in the spleen by approximately 44%. It also induced genes related to pain, including 5-Hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) receptor 3a (Htr3a) and Endothelin receptor type B (Ednrb) in the hypothalamus, and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase in the hypothalamus, liver, and red blood cells. These findings indicate that EA mediates its effects through changes in cellular activity, gene expression, and enzymatic activity in multiple remote tissues. The sum of these alterations may explain the beneficial effects of EA.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

Supported by : Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF), Korea Science and Engineering Foundation

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