• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.190-199
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• 2002

Objective : This study was performed to determine if Scutellaria balicalensis Georgi extract (SbGE) prevents oxidant-induced membrane transport dysfunction in renal tubular cells. Methods : Membrane transport function was estimated by measuring $Na^+$-dependent inorganic phosphate transport in opossum kidney (OK) cells. $H_2O_2$ inhibited phosphate transport in a dose-dependent manner. Results : The inhibitory effect of $H_2O_2$ was significantly prevented SbGE over concentration range of 0.005-0.05%. $H_2O_2$ caused ATP depletion, which was prevented by SbGE. $H_2O_2$ induced the loss of mitochondrial function as evidenced by decreased MTT reduction and its effect was prevented by SbGE. The $H_2O_2$-induced inhibition of phosphate transport was not affected by a potent antioxidant DPPD, but the inhibition was prevented by an iron chelator deferoxamine, suggesting that $H_2O_2$ inhibits $Na^+$-dependent phosphate transport via an iron-dependent nonperoxidative mechanism in renal tubular cells. Conclusion : These data suggest that SbGE may exert the protective effect against oxidant-induced membrane transport dysfunction by a mechanism similar to iron chelators in renal epithelial cells. However, furher studies should be carried out to find the active ingredient(s) of SbGE that exerts the protective effect.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.127-136
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• 2007

Objectives : To review the history, the theoretical basis and the technique of Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS), papers and books on IMS were searched. Methods : 15 papers were searched with the keyword 'Gunn CC' at Pubmed(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed). Several full texts of them and other papers were found at the internet homepage of The Institute for the Study and Treatment of Pain (http://www.istop.org/). 16 Korean papers on IMS were searched at KoreaMed(http://www.koreamed.org/SearchBasic.php) and Koreanstudies Infomation Service System(http://kiss.kstudy.com/KsiKiss.asp). Results : Dr. Gunn has made unique model which can explain the pathology of chronic pain and the mechanism of acupuncture treatment. In this model, he postulated that most of chronic pain is radiculopathy due to spondylosis and acupuncture treatment to the hyperalgesic muscle can restore the normal function of involved muscles and nerves. Conclusions : IMS is an acupuncture technique in which the muscles under the Ah-shi or tender points in periphery and intrasegmental paravertebral muscles are stimulated with needles.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.164-176
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• 2002

Objective : This research carried out to find out the effective efficiency of acupuncture at ST36 GB39 and herbal-acupuncture using different concentrational Uris Fel Bovis Calculus on adjuvant arthritis in rats. Method : In this study, I do acupuncture treatment and herbal-acupuncture in ST36 GB39 by solution that diluted to fivefold and tenfold with combined solution of Bovis Calcuclus and Ursi Fel at 10:1. And then I observed the change of inhibitory rate of paw edema, body weight, hematologic assay, histologic assay. Result : 1. In Adjuvant Arthritis in rats, the herbal-acupuncture group 1 is more efficienct then acupuncture group. 2. In histologic assay of knee joint, synovial cell and fibroblast markedly activated in herbal-acupuncture group. 3. The albumin level in serum more markedly increased in herbal-acupuncture group 2 than the control group. 4. The paw edema significantly decreased in acupuncture group and herbal-acupuncture group 2 compared with the control group. 5. The body weight significantly increased in acupuncture group and herbal-acupuncture group 2 compared with the control group. Conclusion : In these results, The herbal-acupuncture using Ursi Fel, Bovis Calculus, suppress inflammation of Adjuvant Arthritis, and decrease markedly the count of WBC, and increase the albumin level in serum, and have an influence on Adjuvant Arthritis with activating of synovial cell, fibroblast. And these were more effective than the others, and then needed consistent study of its mechanism.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.19-27
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• 2006

Objectives: Although Korean Acupuncture (KA) in Korean Medicine (KM) shares its origins with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it has made its own contribution to the field of acupuncture and general medicine. This study reviews characteristics of KA. Methods: Representative theories of KA were reviewed in light of a constitutionally individualized and practically integrated approach. Individualized approach in KA is based on constitutional energy traits recognized in Saam, Taegeuk, and Eight Constitution acupuncture theories. New practically integrated therapeutic modalities, such as herbal, and bee venom acupunctures, have also been developed in KA. Results: As a form of natural medicine, KA along with KM put emphasis on the vitality and self-correcting mechanism of an individual, which led to the refinement of constitutional approach. KA along with KM theories features a summarized understanding and practical application of integrated therapeutics, which produced creative development of new modalities. Conclusions: KA is expected to make significant contributions to the individualized and practical medicine, based on basic research and clinical trials.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.89-103
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• 2006

Objectives: Recently, the effect of acupuncture has been approved not only in the East but also in the West, so the interest on acupuncture was greatly improved. Especially, functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) was embossed as the study tool for the mechanism of acupuncture noninvasively and many studies on the mechanism of acupuncture using fMRI were carried out. We archived the fMRI study on the brain activity induced by manual acupuncture at BL62(申脈). Methods: The study was the acupuncture at BL62(申脈) and we acquired 9 fMRI results from 6 persons$(age\;20{\sim}30,\;4\;male\;and\;2\;female)$. These studies employed The block design for mapping brain activity and acupuncture was perfomed at BL62(申脈) on the left foot. Results: The brain related motor function was cerebellum, basal ganglia and cerebral cortex and thalamus connected these elements. In the result of this study, the regions of significant activation in the cerebellum was centered on the spinocerebellum in the anterior lobe, so we presumed that this result showed the input of stimulation by the acupuncture on BL62(申脈). But basal ganglia and cerebral cortex showed the regions of significant activation in the left larger than the right and regions of the cerebral cortex was the motor and sensory cortex. Such a result explained that acupuncture at BL62(申脈) could have influence the motor function and acupuncture at left BL62(申脈) could affect the right side through the activation of the left basal ganglia and cerebral cortex. Conclusions: In the theory of crossing needling at collaterals(繆刺論), it the pathogenic factor invaded in the Yang Heel channel(陽?脈) that was one of the eight Extra meridians(奇經八脈), we recognized the disease of the collateral channel and used contralateral BL62(申脈) for treatment of the Yang Heel channel(陽?脈). Moreover the result of this study could bear the construction that acupuncture at the left BL62(申脈) treats the contralateral lesion and this construction is related to the theory of crossing needling at collaterals(繆刺論).

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 2008

Objectives : The aim of this study was to find out some rationales for using Hominis placental extract(HPE) pharmaco-acupuncture on asthmatic patients, and to suggest an appropriate clinical research of HPE pharmaco-acupuncture on asthma. Methods : Articles regarding immunologic experiments about HPE and clinical reports about HPE-contained pharmaco-acupuncture on asthmatic patients were reviewed by on-line and off-line searching. Results and Conclusions : HPE is suggested to have several pharmacological effects on allergic diseases including asthma as well as autoimmune diseases. There are some observational studies of HPE-contained pharmaco-acupuncture on asthmatic patients. However, the designs of these studies are not sufficient to investigate the exact effect of HPE pharmaco-acupuncture on asthma. To investigate HPE pharmaco- acupuncture as a novel asthma therapy, it will be needed to perform further experiments about HPE's pharmacological mechanism on asthma and to try further advanced clinical researches such as well-designed randomized controlled trial of HPE pharmaco-acupuncture.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.127-137
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• 2006

Objective : This experiment was conducted to evaluate inhibitory effects against hepatic metastasis by cultivated wild ginseng Herbal Acupuncture. Methods : Colon26-L5 carcinoma cells were injected through hepatic portal vein to induce hepatic metastatic cancer. After treated cultivated wild ginseng Herbal Acupuncture and investigated various kinds of cytokine level using cytokine chip. Results : 1. Mice treated with cultivated wild ginseng Herbal Acupuncture reduced the level of $IL-l{\alpha}$, $IL-{\beta}$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$ compared to the control group. 2. Mice treated with cultivated wild ginseng Herbal Acupuncture was not showed significant change in the level of IL-4, IL-l0, IL-12 and $INF-{\gamma}$ compared to the control group. 3. Observing the level of various kinds of cytokine, cultivated wild ginseng Herbal Acupuncture was suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine. These findings indicate cultivated wild ginseng Herbal Acupuncture is possible to use the inflammatory disease and futher studies carry out for the explanation of anticancer mechanism.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.111-123
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• 2005

Objectives : Neurological disorders have been one of main therapeutic targets of acupuncture. The present study investigated the protective effects of Gwakhyangjeonggisan herbal acupuncture solution (GHAS). Methods : We performed 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in glioblastoma cells, and did microarray analysis with cells exposed to reactive oxigen species (ROS) of hydrogen peroxide by 8.0 k Human cDNA, with cut-off level of 2-fold changes in gene expression. Results : MTT assay showed protective effect of GHAS on the glioblastoma cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide. When glioblastoma cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide, 16 genes were upregulated. When the cells were pretreated with GHAS before exposure to hydrogen peroxide, 22 genes were upregulated. Most of the genes upregulated by hydrogen peroxide stimulation were reversed to downregulation by GHAS. Conclusion : The gene expression changes observed in the present study are supposed to be related to the protective molecular mechanism of GHAS in the glioblastoma cells exposed to ROS stress.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.24-41
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• 2003

Objective: Dopamine activity in thenucleus accumbens is an important neuropharmacological component of morphine reinforcement. In this nucleus a shell and core have been distinguished on the basis of anatomical and neurochemical criteria. Although acupuncture has been standard intervention in many detoxication programs worldwide, the central mechanism by which morphine acts to reinforce behavior remain elusive. The present in vivo microdialysis study was conducted, in freely moving rats, to detect the effects of acupuncture on extracellular dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats received acupuncture for 1 min after injection of morphine hydrochloride (5mg/kg, s.c.). The employed acupuncture needle points corresponded to bilateral Neiguan(PC6) on the pericardium channel, which has been used to treat mental and psychosomatic disorders. Extracellular dopamine and its metabolites were measured every 20 mins for 3 hrs following the subcutaneous morphine injection. Results: Results showed that acupuncture at PC6 significantly attenuated increases in dopamine levels induced by a single acute morphine injection in the nucleus accumbens shell and core, respectively. Conclusions: These results provided strong evidence for acupuncture-mediated reduction in morphine-induced dopamine release in the rat nucleus accumbens.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 2003

Bee venom has been clinically used to control the pain of inflammation disease etc. in general. Although the effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture has been reported, its mechanism has not been fully elucidated yet. Free radical metabolism seems to occupy a remarkably common position in the mechanisms of inflammation and ageing related disease. Oxidative damage to DNA, lipids, proteins and other molecules may contribute to the development inflammation disease. NO or DPPH is one of the free radicals and a mediator in inflammation diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate the scavenging effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture against NO and DPPH. The followings are the summary of the results: (1) There is no significant scavenging effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture on NO in BVS and BVP group. (2) There is a significant scavenging effect of bee venom herbal acupuncture on DPPH in BVS-1 and BVP-1 group. These results suggest that bee venom herbal acupuncture can be used for inflammation diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. This study would provide important basic data on the possibility of the clinical treatment of bee venom herbal acupuncture. Further studies are required to investigate the antioxidative effects of it.