• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.426-442
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• 2018

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of Zusanli and nonacupoint electroacupuncture stimulation on ultrasonographic gastric emptying and vital signs in eight healthy participants. Gastric emptying and its rate of change were analyzed to search for correlation with physical characteristics such as body mass index (BMI), sternocostal angle, and abdominal wall thickness. Methods: Eight healthy participants with no gastrointestinal disorders were enrolled in this study. Each participant went through three abdominal sonographies for gastric emptying assessment. At the second and third visits, participants received Zusanli and nonacupoint electroacupuncture stimulation in a random order. During the study period, we examined the BMI, sternocostal angle, and abdominal wall thickness of all participants. Vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature) were also examined before and after the electroacupuncture stimulation. Results: Electroacupuncture stimulation at Zusanli significantly improved gastric emptying when compared to nonacupoint stimulation. Gastric emptying showed a positive correlation with BMI, sternocostal angle, and abdominal wall thickness, but this correlation was statistically insignificant. The improvement rate of gastric emptying by Zusanli electroacupuncture stimulation showed a positive correlation with BMI and sternocostal angle and a negative correlation with abdominal wall thickness. However, such results were also statistically insignificant. Among vital signs, only heart rate showed a significant decrease according to Zusanli electroacupuncture stimulation. Conclusions: A significant effect of Zusanli electroacupuncture was confirmed through ultrasonographic gastric emptying in healthy participants.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.76-87
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• 2001

Objective : Zusanli(ST36) and Hoku(Li4) are analgesic acupuncture points frequently used for acupuncture in Oriental medicine. The present study was conducted to see the antinociceptive effects produced by electroacupuncture combined two frequencies(Low, High) and two different acupuncture points(LI4, ST36) in the rat tail flick test. Method : In this study the Rats (Sprague-Dawley, 250-300g) were partially anesthetized with thiopental sodium(40mg/kg, i.p.). The basal reaction time for the tail-flick was 3${\pm}$0.5 sec. Low frequency(3Hz, 5V, biphasic) and high frequency(100Hz, 5V, biphasic) were applied to the inserted needle for the period of insertion(twenty minutes). Experimental groups are divied as follow; a) electroacupuncture stimulation groups at Hoku with or high frequency(L-EA, H-EA), b) electroacupuncture stimulation groups at Zusanli with low or high frequency(1-EA, h-EA), c) low frequency at Hoku and Zusanli(LIEA), d) low frequency at Hoku and high frequency at Zusanli(LhEA), e) high frequency at Hoku and low frequency at Zusanli(HIEA), f) high frequency at Hoku and Zusanli(HhEA) Results : The individual stimulation at either Hoku or Zusanli with low frequency has stronger and longer analgesic effect than high frequency stimulation. In addition, the combined stimulation at Hoku and Zusanli with low frequency has superior effect to individual stimulation with low frequency. LhEA and LIEA have superior effect to other stimulation groups among the combined groups. In order to determine the involvement of opioid system on the different antinociceptive effects, Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, was used in the combined groups. LIEA is the most sensitive when naloxone was administrated among study groups. HhEA is the least sensitive in the administration of naloxone. Conclusion : From results, this study confirmed that the opioid system is involved in analgesic effect of low frequency stimulation of acupuncture point, and we also can suggest the stronger analgesic effect of combining stimulation points is due to the theory of spatial summation in the nervous system.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.672-676
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• 2003

To investigate the effect of acupuncture on Zusanli (ST 36) in this study, gastrin level of serum by radioimmunoassay was measured at 1, 3, 6 weeks in rats. In other groups, 1 mg/day omeprazole was administered for 1, 3, 6 weeks. Omeprazole increased significantly gastrin level of serum at 1, 3, 6 weeks in a time dependent manner. Acupuncture applied to the ST 36 acupoint decreased at 1, 3, 6 weeks. Furthermore, acupuncture applied to other acupoint, Yanglinquan (GB 34) did not produced significant effect. When the common peroneal nerve was dissected, acupuncture of ST 36 produced the change of gastrin level. These data suggest that acupuncture decreased gastrin level of serum in point specific way and that effect was not related with surrounding nerve.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.89-102
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• 2003

Objective: The expression of CRF(corticotropin releasing factor), CRF-R(receptor) and CRF-BP(binding protein) in CNS neurons projecting to the stomach and ST36 using the pseudorabies virus in the rat was investigated. Methods: After survival times of 5 days following injection of PRV-Ba-Gal, The thirty rats were perfused, and their brain were frozen sectioned($30{\mu}m$). These sections were stained by PRV-Ba-Gal histochemical staining method and(or) CRF, CRF-R and CRF-BP immunohistochemical method. The common expressed areas of the brain projecting to the stomach and zusanli(ST36) following injection of PRV-Ba-Gal were observed with light microscope. Results: 1) The dense accumulation of CRF-immunoreactive terminals is seen in the area postrema, n. tractus solitarius, external zone of the median eminence, with some immunoreactive CRF also present in the internal zone. 2) Aggregates of CRF-R immunoreactive perikarya are found in area postrema, n. tractus solitarius, lateral reticular n., gigantocellular reticular n., locus coeruleues, paraventricular n. of hypothalamus, median eminence, preoptic n., arcuate n. and hind limb area of cerebral cortex. 3) Aggregates of CRF-BP immunoreactive perikarya are found in area postrema, n. tractus solitarius, lateral reticular nucleus, gigantocellular reticular n., locus coeruleues, paraventricular n. of hypothalamus, median eminence and arcuate n.. Conclusions : These results suggest that PRV-Ba-Gal labeled areas projecting to stomach and ST36 may be related to the central autonomic pathways. A part of CNS neurons projecting to the stomach and ST36 were related to expression of CRF, CRF-R and CRF-BP related to the stress in central autonomic center.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.135-144
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• 2003

Objective : The purpose of this study is To investigate the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion at Zusanli(ST36) and Weishu(BL21) Methods : serum gastrin level by radioimmunoassay was measured at 5 days after acupuncture and moxibustion of those acupoints. Gastric endocrine cell(G cell and Histamine immunoreactive density) by avidin-biotinylated complex(ABC) technique, histological examinations(Alcian Blue-PAS Stain; Alcian blue-Periodic Acid Schiff reagent) of the gastric mucosa were also performed. Acupuncture applied to the ST36 acupoint increased gastrin level of serum, but moxibustion did not produced significant effect. All of acupuncture and moxibustion at BL21 acupoint increased gastrin level of serum significantly. In moxibustion at ST36 and BL21, the number of gastrin secreting cells in gastric mucosa, the density of immunoreactive histamin secreting cells and the density of body mucosa stained by PAS were decreased compare to acupuncture at ST36 and BL21. In acupuncture and moxibustion at BL21, the density of pylorus mucosa stained by PAS were increased compare to the groups applied to ST36. In the density of body mucosa stained by AB, moxibustion at BL21 and ST36 were increased compare to the other groups. Results : These data suggest that acupuncture and moxibustion at BL21 increased gastrin level of serum and those effects were more potent than acupuncture at ST36.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.924-928
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of Zusanli(ST 36) electro-acupuncture(EA) on the small intestinal motility in rat. The motor activity of the rat small intestine was evaluated by intestinal transfortation rate. Changes in the motility in vivo of ileum was measured before and 10 minutes after acupuncture. In order to examine whether EA effect was affected by stimulated duration and left or right sides of ST36 acupoint, both of the difference effects of left or right sides on acupoints of ST 36 and the stimulated duration of 10, 20, 30 min. were investigated on the motility in vivo of ileum. These results suggest that effect of Zusanli(ST36) for increasing the small intestinal motility should stimulate more than 20 minutes, left ST36 EA has stronger effect than right ST36 EA.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.98-107
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• 2005

Objectives: Acupuncture treatment has been clinically used for functional recovery in Parkinson's disease. In the present study, we investigated the effect of acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuronal cell death in rats. Methods: A Parkinson's disease model was induced by the unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the striatum. Acupuncture treatment was performed at Zusanli (ST36) and at the hip, as a non-acupoint, once a day for 14 days. Two weeks after 6-0HDA injection, an apomorphine-induced rotational behavior test showed significant rotational asymmetry in rats with Parkinson's disease. Immunostaining for tyrosine hydroxylase demonstrated a dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra and dopaminergic fiber loss in the striatum. Results: Acupuncture at the ST36 acupoint significantly inhibited rotational asymmetry in rats with Parkinson's disease, and also protected against 6-OHDA-induced nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuronal loss. These effects of acupuncture were not observed for non-acupoint acupuncture. Conclusions: The present study shows that acupuncture treatment, especially at the ST36 acupoint, can be used as a useful strategy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.67-82
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• 2005

Effects of Phaseoli Semen rubra Herbal-acupuncture at zusanli(ST-36), Quchi(LI-11) and Sanyinjiao(Sp-6) on lipid composition, liver function, oxidative capacity and molecular biological aspects were investigate in high fat diet induced obese rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing about 400g were divided into 4 groups according to body weight and raised four weeks with control, zusanli(ST-36), Quchi(LI-11) and Sanyinjiao(Sp-6) Herbal-acupuncture groups. 1. Plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol showed a low values in the (ST-36) and (LI-11) Herbal-acupuncture groups and HDL-cholesterol showed a high values in the (ST-36) Herbal-acupuncture groups. 2. Plasma triglyceride and glucose showed a low values in the (ST-36) and (LI-11) Herbal-acupuncture groups. 3. The contents of plasma free fatty acids showed a tendence to decrease in the Herbal-acupuncture groups, however in the Herbal-acupuncture groups, the values showed no significantly different. 4. The activities of AST and ALT showed no significantly different in all treatment groups. 5. The contents of plasma ${\beta}-lipoprotein$ and free fatty acids showed a tendency to decrease in the Herbal-acupuncture groups compared to those of control group. In the Herbal-acupuncture groups, the values of (ST-36) and (LI-11) Herbal-acupuncture groups showed a low in the acupuncture groups. 6. Liver total cholesterol and triglyceride showed a low values in the (ST-36) and (LI-11) Herbal-acupuncture groups. 7. Contents of plasma TBARS showed a low values in the (ST-36) and (LI-11) Herbal-acupuncture groups, however contents of liver TBARS showed no significantly different among treatment groups. 8. Values of liver glutathione peroxidase and catalase activity showed a tendency to increase in the (ST-36) and (LI-11) Herbal­acupuncture groups. Values of liver super oxide dismutase activity showed a high in the (ST-36) Herbal-acupuncture groups compared to those of other groups. 9. Expression of apo-B mRNA in liver cell showed a low in (ST-36) Herbal-acupuncture groups, however expression of apo-E mRNA showed a high in Herbal-acupuncture groups and $TNF-{\alpha}$ mRNA in adipose cell showed no different among all the treatment groups. Expression of Leptin mRNA showed a tendance to decrease in (ST-36) Herbal-acupuncture group. 10. Histological character of liver, those of (ST-36) Herbal-acupuncture group showed a good, however other treatment groups showed slight vasodilation and slight fat accumulation. These results indicated that Phaseoli Semen rubra Herbal-acupuncture at (ST-36) and (LI-22) suppressed adipose tissue mass and lipid peroxidation and increased antioxidant system.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.101-114
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• 2003

To study the effects of anti-cancer, anti-metastasis and immune response improvement of herbal-acupuncture with Aucklandiae Radix diffusae herba infusion solution(AKL-HAS), we injected AKL-HAS into Zusanli(St36) of C57BL/6 mice implanted intravenously with B16-F10 melanoma. The results were obtained as follows : 1. In the experiment groups treated with Aucklandiae Radix(AKL) Herbal-Acupuncture, the spleen cell proliferation in Balb/c mouse was significantly increased compared with that of the control group. 2. In the experiment groups treated with Aucklandiae Radix(AKL) Herbal-Acupuncture, the percentage of $CD25^{+}/CD4^{+},\;CD8^{+}/CD3e^{+},\;CD69^{+}/B220^{+},\;NK1.1^{+}/CD3e^{+}$ cells in C57BL/6 mouse PBMCs was increased compared with that of the control group. 3. In the experiment groups treated with Aucklandiae Radix(AKL) Herbal-Acupuncture, the pulmonary colony number of C57BL/6 mice implanted intravenously with B16-F10 melanoma was decreased significantly compared with that of the control group. 4. In the experiment groups treated with Aucklandiae Radix(AKL) Herbal-Acupuncture, MST(Median Survial Time) and ILS(Increase of Life Span) of C57BL/6 mice implanted intravenously with B16-F10 melanoma were increased significantly compared with those of the control group.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.748-754
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• 2007

Electroacupuncture is the combined treatment of mechanical and electric stimuli on the needle head, on which electricity runs after acupuncturing at the acupuncture points. It is reported that its treatment effect depends on the parameter of stimulus, which is wave of stimulus, frequency, voltage, and duration of electric current. To get the effective treatment, stimulus intensity over threshold is needed. We planned to experiment whether acupuncture effect is affected by sex, age, and weight. After we conducted electric stimulus at Zusanli(ST 36) which is known to increase small intestinal motility in normal rats, we observed the effects and got the following results. Though the increased effects of small intestinal motility of electro-acupuncture at Zusanli(ST 36) did not show the difference of sex, this effect was observed to have a tendency to decrease according to weight increase without distinction of sex. But the effect of electro-acupuncture shown in 4, 5, 7 weeks old without distinction of sex was observed to have a tendency to decrease with the growing of weeks-old in the male rat group. And the significant change without specific tendency was observed in the 4, 5 weeks old female rat group. This result suggested that sex, weight, and age should be considered to get the efficient electro-acupuncture. The more experimental study should be advanced to investigate the correlation between the factors that can affect the acupuncture treatment, and, afterward, the interconnection into the clinical use.