Objectives: To report on the result of infertility treatment with Korean medicine in clinical settings. Methods: This study was single arm, retrospective observational study. Analysis of the medical records on thirty four infertile women who were treated by acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine(Jokyungjongoktang-gagambang, Sutaehwan-gagambang). Pregnancy rate(PR) and Live birth rate(LBR) were analyzed as the primary outcomes. Changes of AMH, FSH, LH, $E_2$, $P_4$, endometrial thickness, fat mass, and BMI were also analyzed as the secondary outcomes. Results: A total of 34 patients were treated in the traditional Korean medical clinic. Nine patients were dropped, and 25 subjects completed the final examination at the end of this treatment schedule. Five of 25 subjects conceived during treatment, reaching 20% PR and LBR was also 20%. Except for FSH level, the results of the remaining outcome measures, including LFT, showed no significant changes. No serious adverse event has been reported. Conclusion: Although no significant changes in bio-markers were observed, complex treatment using Korean medicine has shown effectiveness on women's infertility. In addition, the safety of the treatment has been verified.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacopuncture in the treatment of acute peripheral facial paralysis (APFP) through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the clinical evidence for pharmacopuncture as a treatment for PFP. Methods: Literature was searched using databases. The search terms used were "pharmacopuncture," "sweet BV," "apipuncture," "apitoxin," "injection acupuncture," and "herbal acupuncture" in English and "bongchim," "bongyakchim," and "yakchim" in Korean. The RevMan 5.2 program was used for meta-analysis. Results: In all, 1902 studies were screened and the full texts of 219 articles were reviewed. Of these, nine studies were included in the systematic review and nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. Treatments utilizing bee venom, sweet bee venom (SBV), Soyeom, Calculus Bovis Fel Ursi Moschus (BUM), Hominis Placenta, and Suseunghwagang (SSHG) were observed in nine RCTs. In the forest plot, the diamond favors the PA treatment against the control treatment. (95% CI: 0.34 [0.08, 0.60], Z = 2.57, P = 0.01), which Our meta-analysis in RevMan 5.2 confirmed the significant efficacy of PA in treating APFP. Conclusion: Our systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that treatments using Soyeom, bee venom, and BUM are effective in APFP and they reduce the duration of postauricular pain occurring at the acute stage of APFP. However, due to small effect size, further investigation is needed.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of Picrorrhizae Rhizoma (PR) aqueous extracts on the formalin-induced paw chronic inflammation in mice. Methods: PR extracts (500, 250 and 125mg/kg) or distilled water (DW) were orally administered once a day for 10 days to formalin-injected chronic inflammatory mice. The paw thicknesses and volumes were measured daily and the paw wet-weight and histological profiles were conducted at termination with paw tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ contents measurement. The anti-inflammatory effects of PR extracts were compared with dexamethasone. Results: In DW treated control group, the paw thickness, paw wet-weights and paw TNF-${\alpha}$ contents were markedly increased. Severe chronic inflammation signs such as severe fibrosis, the formation of necrotic debris, and infiltration of inflammatory cells were detected in histopathological observations. However, these formalin-induced changes were dramatically decreased by treatment of dexamethasone and all three different dosages of PR extracts. The anti-inflammatory effects of PR at highest dose were slighter than that of dexamethasone, but it did not show any harmful effects on the body weight contrary to dexamethasone. Conclusion: These results suggest that PR extracts have safe and favorable effects on formalin-induced chronic inflammation.

Objectives: This study was carried out to analyze the single dose toxicity of Mecasin(Gami-Jakyak Gamcho buja Decoction) pharmacopuncture in muscle of Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods: All experiments were performed at the Medvill, an institution acknowledged to conduct non-clinical studies, under the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations. Sprague-Dawley rats were chosen in this pilot study. The reason Sprague-Dawley rats were chosen is that they have been widely used in safety test in the field of medicine, so the results can be easily compared with many other databases. Doses of Mecasin pharmacopuncture, 0, 500, 1,000, and 2,000mg/kg, were registered to the experimental groups, and a dose of normal saline solution, 10 ml/kg, was registered to the control group. Mecasin pharmacopuncture and normal saline were injected into the thigh of the rats by disposable syringes at intervals of six hours twice a day. This study was performed under the approval of the Institutional Animal Ethic Committee. Results: There is no death or abnormality in any of the four groups. No significant changes in weight, hematological parameters or clinical chemistry between the control group and the experimental groups were observed. To inspect abnormalities in organs and tissues, we used microscopy to examine representative histological sections of each specified organ; the results showed no significant differences in any of the organs or tissues. Conclusion: The above outcomes suggest that treatment with Mecasin pharmacopuncture is relatively safe. Further evaluations and studies on this subject are needed to prove more concrete evidence.

Objectives: We evaluated the effect of the traditional Korean medical therapy of catgut-embedding therapy in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods: Thirteen patients(20 hands) with CTS underwent catgut-embedding therapy once per week for a total of 1-4 sessions. We measured the time to tingling in the fingers on performing Phalen's test. We also had patients use a visual analog scale (VAS) to indicate the severity of tingling. We also asked about the awakening time at night due to pain and tingling. We controlled the treatment as being limited to four sessions. Even if a patient had not been treated for four sessions, we ended the patient's treatment if symptoms resolved. Results: Patients who received catgut-embedding therapy showed significant improvements in the clinical symptoms of CTS. After treatment, in a total of 19 hands, the status of fourteen was changed from positive to negative in Phalen's test and the average of tingling occurrence time in that test was delayed. Among the 20 hands, the VAS in eight hands changed to zero and the average of VAS score decreased. Furthermore, in nine patients, four could sleep well without the use of a splint. Conclusions: Patients undergoing this traditional Korean medical therapy showed alleviation of finger tingling after even a single treatment. We thus concluded that this traditional Korean catgut-embedding therapy, may be effective for treating CTS. However, to confirm the effects of catgut-embedding therapy on CTS, further tests are required, including under the defined, strict conditions of a randomized controlled trial.

Infants with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) have a higher chance of experiencing seizures before the age of 1 year; in particular, they commonly accompany infantile spasms. In cases where infantile spasms resulting from TSC are drug-resistant, more severe neuro-developmental and cognitive impairments occur. This particular case dealt with an infant with TSC who continued to experience partial seizures and infantile spasms despite using two different kinds of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). His spasms ceased on the seventh day of taking modified Yukmijihwang-tang (YMJ), at which point he stopped the use of all AEDs. He became seizure-free after a month of the treatment and modified hypsarrythmia was found to have been resolved in the electroencephalogram test. Until now, the infant has been taking YMJ for 16 months and is maintaining the seizure-free state without side effects. Moreover, his developmental status is continually improving, with a significant progress in language and cognitive-adaptive abilities. Such results suggest that YMJ can serve as an alternative treatment option for refractory epilepsy.