• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.68-76
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• 2003

Objective : In the pain control, Bee Venom Acupuncture therapy is highly effective but cause allergic side-effects frequently. This study was performed to compare Bee Venom(BV) with BV Partner(BVP) in decreasing side-effects of BV. Methods : BV partner(BVP) which dilutes the Morus bombycis Koiduzumi Herbal Acupuncture was developed to decrease the side effects of the Bee Venom. We used D.I.T.I. to verify the effectiveness of BVP in decreasing side-effect of BV. We injected BV to Group I (n=18) at 4 points of body [Fengmen(風門 : B12), Feishu(肺兪 : B13), Fufen(附分 : B41), Pohu(魄戶 : B42)], and BVP to group II (N=18) at the same points. We observed the chages of temperature at beginning, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 2days and 7days after injection. Results : The following results were obtained; 1. The difference of temperature had been continued until 2days in BV group, but 1day in BVP group. 2. The difference of temperature was significantly greater than time at 1hour in BV and at 5 minutes in BVP. 3. Other side-effects(the local pain, redness, angioedema and pruritus) were less appeared in BVP than BV group, too.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.247-259
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• 2020

Objectives: This review aims to investigate clinical studies related to bee venom pharmacopuncture for cancer patients and to analyze the research trend for further study. Methods: We searched for clinical studies using bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy on patients with cancer through the electronic databases including Pubmed, Cochrane library, OASIS, KISS, NDSL, and KMBASE. There was no restriction on language and publication date, and after selection/exclusion process, the study design, target disease, intervention details including acupoints, treatment frequency and period, outcomes, study results and adverse events were extracted. Results: Thirteen clinical studies were finally selected. There were a randomized controlled trial RCT about the effect of sweet bee venom pharmacopuncture on cancer-related pain, and three case series about chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. In case reports, there were nine studies about oligodendroglioma, plexiform neurofibroma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, urachal adenocarcinoma, malignant melanoma, and atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. The bee venom therapy affected the improvement of outcomes such as symptoms, quality of life, tumor response, and lab findings. Conclusions: The present study found that bee venom therapy is applicable to the treatment of cancer patients, and showed some effect on various symptoms. However, due to insufficient number and quality of studies, well designed and high-quality clinical trials are necessary to confirm the effectiveness and safety of bee venom pharmacopuncture therapy in patients with cancer.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.132-137
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• 2011

Bee venom acupuncture (BVA), as a kind of herbal acupuncture, involved injecting diluted bee venom into acupoints and is used for pain, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients. BVA is growing in popularity, especially in Korea, and is used primarily for pain relief in many kinds of diseases. However, the effect of bee venom anti-inflammatory related action in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced chondrocyte stress have not been reported yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bee venom of cell viability and inflammatory cytokine in rat articular chondrocyte cultures stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Inflammation was induced in rat chondrocytes by treatment with $10{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ LPS. The change of cell viability were decreased in chondrocytes after treatment with lipopolysaccharide. The cell viability revealed that BV exerted no significant cytotoxicity in the rat chondrocyte. Bee venom inhibited decreased cell viability in the presence of lipopolysaccharide ($10{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) in a dose dependent manner(0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and $5.0{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) at bee venom(p<0.05). Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ production in the presence of lipopolysaccharide($1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) was also inhibited in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05 from bee venom $0.1{\mu}g/m{\ell}$). Interleukin (IL)-6 production in the presence of lipopolysaccharide ($10{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) was inhibited as well (p<0.05 at bee venom 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and $5.0{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, respectively). Our results demonstrate that bee venom was a anti-inflammatory agent of chondrocytes. Bee venom may exert its anti inflammatory effects through inhibition of TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 synthesis, and may then pain relief and reduce the articular destruction.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.13-25
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• 2004

Objective : Herniation of Nucleus Pulpous(HNP) of Lumbar is the most important reason that causes low back pain. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of Bee-venom acua-acupuncture therapy for protrusion disc patients. Methods : To evaluate the effectiveness of Bee-Venom Acupuncture Therapy, 20 patients were treated by bee-venom acua-acupuncture therapy. To estimate the efficacy of treatment, we used Quardruple Visual Analog Scale(QVAS). Results : 1. As a objectivity treatment record, they test treatment record good 60%, fair 25%, excellent 15%. 2. After bee-venom therapy, pain rate changed from 8.25 to 2.15. 3. By the results which puts out the statistics in sex, a pain rate of male changed from 8.75 to 2.50, a pain rate of female 7.92 to 1.92. Intentional difference is none as a therapy. By the results which puts out the statistics in age, after forties changed from 7.78 to 2.22 and before forties changed from 7.90 to 1.92. By the results which puts out the statistics in disc herniation, pain rate of central type changed from 8.29 to 2.29, pain rate of left type changed from 8.20 to 1.40, pain rate of Right type changed from 8.00 to 4.00.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2003

Objective : The purpose of this study is to show that there was a significant result in prescribing Herb remedy and Korean-Bee-Venom acupuncture and acupuncture & moxibustion therapy to Urinary incontinence patients due to Neurologic Bladder caused by Cauda equina syndrome after having an vertebrae lumbale operation. Method : The methods used in this study was observe the patient's subjective improvement, valuation of the bladder function and the change of the sensibility drop when Herb remedy and Korean-Bee-Venom acupuncture and acupuncture was applied. Results : When acupuncture and Korean-Bee-Venom acupuncture was both applied the function of Bladder changed from score 10 to 0 and the Grade of Urinary Incontinence changed from Grade III to 0 also with the sensibility drop. Conclusion : The results show that when using Umnungchon(SP9), Yangnungchon (GB34), Taedon(LR1), Kokkol(CV2) there was an effect to some degree to the Urinary incontinence patients but when Korean-Bee-Venom was acupunctured to Kwanwon(CV4) and Kihae(CV6) the effect increased. Further studies and examples for evidence are required.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.35-48
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• 2002

Objective : The study was performed to evaluate the effect of treatment for thoracolumbar compression fracture by using Bee Venom Acupuncture that is well known for anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Methods : We investigated 39 cases of patient with thoracolumbar compression fracture. The patients with thoracolumbar compression fracture were treated at the department of acupuncture & moxibustion of Kyung-Won University Oriental Hospital from 1st January 2001 to 30th August 2002. We selected for two groups. One group was treated by Bee Venom Acupuncture therapy(Bee Venom Acupuncture Group : BAG), the other group was treated by Filiform Acupuncture therapy(None Bee Venom Acupuncture Group : NBAG). Results : 1. The distribution showed female predominance in sex and 70's predominance in age. The largest group was "accidental fall" and the next was "lifting heavy objects" in causes, and within 2 weeks in the duration of disease 2. In the duration of admission, the largest group was within 4 weeks. In regard to level of injury, T12 was found to be most predominant, followed in turn by L1, L2, L5. In regard to grade of clinical symptoms, Grade III was most predominant, followed by Grade II, Grade IV. 3. In the results of treatment, 87.5% were above "Good" in BAG and 47.8% in NBAG. 4. In the result of treatment due to the grade of clinical symptoms, BAG was more excellent than NBAG on the whols grade. 5. In the result of treatment due to duration of admission, the duration of admission was not in proportion to the results of treatment. 6. In the change of lumber flexion, the improvement above $80^{\circ}$ was 50% in BAG and 21.7% in NBAG 7. In the stability of treatment, the BAG and NBAG did't show any detrimental change in GOT, GPT, r-GTP, BUN, creatinine. Conclusions : In the treatment of thoracolumbar compression fracture, the Bee Venom Acupuncture can be regarded as more effective treatment than Filiform Acupuncture in the clinical practice. This is expected to be available for clinical use.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.109-117
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• 2001

Objective : There has been no known report on the pain shock after administering Korean bee-venom therapy. Three accounts of pain shock were observed at the Sangji university affiliated Oriental medicine clinic from July 2001 through September 2001. This thesis will inform clinical progression and cautions on administering Korean bee-venom therapy. Methods: We were able to witness different patterns of pain shock during the treatment of degenerative knee joint, progressive oral paralysis, and A.L.S. In order to reduce heat toxicity of the bee venom, needling points were first massaged with the ice for 10 minutes before injecting $0.1{\sim}0.2cc$ of the bee venom. Points of injection were ST36, LI11, LI4 and others. Pain shock occurred after injecting on inner xi-an, outer xi-an and LI4. The phenomena associated with pain shock was recorded in chronological order and local changes were examined. Results: Through examining 3 patients with the pain shock, we managed to observe clinical progression, duration, and time linked changes on specific regions. We also managed to determine sensitive needling points for the pain shock. Conclution: Following results were obtained from 3 patients with the pain shock caused by Korean bee-venom therapy from July 2001 to September 2001. 1. Either positive or negative responses were shown after the pain shock. For case 1, extreme pain was accompanied with muscular convulsion and tremble, ocular hyperemia, delirium, stiffening of extremities, and hyper ventilation which all suggest positive responses. For case 2 and 3, extreme pain was accompanied with facial sweating, asthenia of extremities, pallor face, dizziness, weak voice, and sleepiness which are the signs of negative responses. 2. The time required to recover to stable state took nearly an hour (including sleeping time) and there was no side effect. 3. Precautions required to prevent the pain shock includes full concentration from the practitioner, accurate point location, precise amount of injection, physiological condition and psychological stability of the patient 4. Coping with the pain shock should be similar with a needle shock, and since extreme pain is accompanied, sufficient psychological rest must be provided. 5. Pain shock occurs because the patient cannot tolerate stimulation on the needling point. Thus, symptoms were similar to the needle shock in addition to excruciating pain. Further investigation and research must be done to have better understanding of an immune response and the pain shock associated with Korean bee-venom therapy.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.153-161
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• 2008

Objectives : To investigate therapeutic outcomes of back pain modalities in patients with disc hemiation; Korean medical treatments(Herbal medicine, chuna therapy, acupuncture, bee-venom acupuncture.). Methods : Operation(OP) recommended 20 patients with lumbar disc hemiation were treated with chuna therapy, acupuncture, bee-venom acupuncture one times a week and took herbal medicine after a meal two times daily. The patients' symptoms were assessed 1 week, 2 week, 4 week, 6 week, 8 week by Visual analogue scale(VAS), Oswestry disability index(ODI), 36-Item short-form health survey(SF-36). Results : 1. VAS(LBP and Sciatica) score was significantly improved after 8 weeks (P<0.05). 2. ODI, SF-36 score was significantly improved after 8 weeks (P<0.05). 3 There were significant changes in physical functioning(PF), bodily pain(BP), social functioning(SF), role emotinal(RE), mental health(MH) score of SF-36 after 8 weeks (P<0.05). Conclusions : This study suggests that Korean medical treatment(Herbal medicine, chuna therapy, acupuncture, bee-venom acupuncture) can be applicable to improve symptoms in patients with lumbar disc herniation.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.181-187
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• 2005

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to compare the improvement effects on lumbar spine herniation of nucleus pulpous between neighboring acupuncture points and neighboring-remote acupuncture points by bee venom herbal-acupuncture therapy. Methods : The 30 patients who had a diagnosis of lumbar spine herniation of nucleus pulpous were divided into two groups. Group A was 15 cases treated with bee venom herbal-acupuncture therapy on neighboring acupuncture points, group B was 15 cases treated on neighboring and remote acupuncture points. The two groups were also managed by moxibustion, physical theraphy and herbal medicine. The improvement effects between two groups was estimated by low back pain index and visual analogue scale(VAS) score after 10 days treatment. Results : After 10 days treatment. low back pain index and VAS score were significantly improved in both two groups, but there was no significantly difference between two groups in both low back pain index and VAS score. Conclusion : In this study, there were same effects between neighboring acupuncture points and neighboring-remote acupuncture points bee venom herbal-acupuncture therapy. But further studies are required to confirm the effect of these methods.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.145-149
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• 1999

This study was designed to examine therapeutic effect of natural honeybee (Apis mellifera) venom in pigs with arthritis. Pigs were assigned to treated and nontreated control groups. In treated group, 51 pigs were given natural honeybee venom once a day for 5 consecutive days. Acupoints of Sam-li, Jok-su and Pal-ja were stung by the natural honey bees. In control group, 46 pigs were intramuscularly injected with a standard dosage of penicillin G (400,000 IU/kg of body weight) once a day for 5 consecutive days. On day 5 following bee venom therapy, 73.9% of control pigs and 86.2% of pigs in treated group recovered from arthritis. Bee acupuncture therapy did not show any side effects such as allergy, intoxication, hemorrhage, or infection. It might be concluded that honeybee venom therapy was effective in controlling of pig with arthritis.