Abstract
Objectives : This research was performed to investigate the effects of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma pharmacopuncture at Bi-Su($BL_{20}$) on weight change, food efficiency, concentration of serum lipid, liver function of rats fed high fat diet for 8 weeks. Methods : Subject groups were diveded into normal diet group(Normal), high fat diet group(Control), high fat diet and saline in $BL_{20}$ treated group(Saline), high fat diet and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma pharmacopuncture in $BL_{20}$ treated group(PT-1, 0.008mg/ml/g), high fat diet and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma pharmacopuncture in $BL_{20}$ treated group(PT-2, 0.021mg/ml/g), and high fat diet and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma pharmacopuncture in $BL_{20}$ treated group(PT-3, 0.042mg/ml/g). Pharmacopuncture was bilaterally treated at BL20 every 4 days, totally 14 times in 56 days. We observed the changes of body weight, food efficiency, ALT, AST, r-GTP, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL-cholesterol of each group. Results : 1. Body weight significantly decreased, as compared with the control group, in PT-1 from 2nd week to 8th week, in PT-2 from 4th week to 7th week. 2. Food efficiency decreased, as compared with the control group, in PT-1(0.05${\leq}$p<0.06). 3. HDL-cholesterol increased, as compared with the control group, in PT-1, PT-3, but not significantly. 4. In the changes of ALT, as compared with the control group, only in PT-1 group, the level of serum ALT decreased(0.05${\leq}$p<0.06). 5. As for the changes of r-GTP, as compared with control group, in every subject group, the levels of serum r-GTP significantly decreased. Conclusions : According to the above results, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma pharmacopuncture at $BL_{20}$ can act on body weight, food efficiency and liver function. It also does not seem to be injurious on liver function. To use Rhei Radix et Rhizoma pharmacopuncture for obesity, further studies on its underlying mechanism and optimal dosage might be needed.
