• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.59-76
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• 2004

Objectives : The usage of acupuncture has gained popularity for certain chronic pain conditions. However, the efficacy of acupuncture in various diseases has not been fully established and the underlying mechanism is not clearly understood. In the present study, the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) applied to yangno$(SI_6)$ on the neuropathic pain was examined. Methods : A common source of persistent pain in human is a neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain was induced by tight ligation of L5 spinal nerve. When rats developed pain behaviors, EA was applied for 30 min. under enflurane anesthesia with repeated train stimuli at the intensity of 10X of muscle twitch threshold. The foot withdraw latency of the hind limb was measured for an indicator of pain level after each manipulation. Results : EA increased the mechanical threshold of the foot in the rat model of neuropathic pain significantly for the duration of 1 hr. suggesting a partial alleviation of pain. EA applied to SI6 point produced a significant improvement of mechanical sensitivity of the foot lasting for at least 1 h. However, $ST_{36}$ point did not produce any significant increase of mechanical sensitivity. The improvement of mechanical threshold was interpreted as an analgesic effect. The analgesic effort was specific to the acupuncture point since the analgesic effect on the neuropathic pain model could not be mimicked by EA applied to a point, $ST_{36}$. In addition, this analgesic effect of EA is mediated by a adrenergic mechanism of descending control of spinal cord from the brain. Conclusions : The data suggest that EA produces a potent analgesic effect on the neuropathic pain model in the rat; and 2) that EA-induced analgesia is mediated by a adrenergic mechanism of descending control in a point specific manner.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to prove the analgesic effects of apitoxin and its mechanism via jaw-opening reflex(JOR) and measuring expression of mRNA in Phospholipase and Tryptophan hydroxylase(TPH) using RT-PCR. The experiments were carried out on Sprague-Dawley rats(300-400g) and mastocytoma(P-185 HTR) for JOR and RT-PCR, respectively. Rats anesthetized with thiopental sodium (80mg/kg) were used in the Tooth Pulp stimulation induced JOR. The amplitude of a digastric electromyogram (dEMG) was recorded during the stimulation at an intensity of 1.5 times the threshold for JOR. Apitoxin used in this experiment was diluted with normal saline by 1:1000. Apitoxin was injected intravenously into the test group while normal saline to the control group. However, it was injected directly into the cell of mastocytoma. We referred to base sequence registered in Genbank in designing primers for RT-PCR. The results were as follows; (1)Compared with control group, analgesic effect started to show right after Sprague-Dawely rats were treated with apitoxin($71.50{\pm}8.08$) and lasted for 50 minutes. (2)As a result of the experiment of RT-PCR, we witnessed significant changes in the degree of expression of phospholipase or rate-limiting enzyme of biosynthesis of prostaglandins with $10{\mu}g/ml$ apitoxin.($31.74{\pm}18.98%$, P<0.05) (3)As a result of the experiment of RT-PCR, we witnessed significant changes in the degree of expression of TPH or rate-limiting enzyme in biosynthesis of serotonin with $10{\mu}g/ml$ apitoxin.($131.37{\pm}16.87%$, P<0.05). These results suggest that $10{\mu}g/ml$ apitoxin have the most analgesic effects. This study showed that apitoxin has analgesic effects and held good for 50 minutes. The injection of apitoxin has brought out changes in the degree of expression of phospholipase and TPH. These results strongly suggest that analgesic mechanism by apitoxin is closely related to prostaglandins and serotonin.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.69-79
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• 2004

Objective : Acupuncture has been used for treatment of numerous disorders, especially for pain control in Oriental Medicine. However, the mechanism of pain control by acupuncture was not clear until now. This study was performed to prove analgesic mechanism of acupuncture treatment at acupoint $ST_{36}$ by observing the changes of abdominal pain and c-Fos expression in the thalamus. Methods : Abdominal pain was induced by acetic acid, and the changes of writhing reflex after acupuncture treatment on $ST_{36}$ and non-acupoints were measured. c-Fos immunohistochemistry was also performed to study the changes of the neuronal activity in the thalamus. Results : The writhing reflex decrease significantly after acupuncturing at $ST_{36}$ compared with control group(p<0.05). The changes of the writhing reflex by non-acupoint acupuncture treatment also showed significant decrease compared with control group(p<0.05). c-Fos expression in the thalamus, especially periventricular part was significantly decreased after acupuncturing as $ST_{36}$ compared with control groups(p<0.05). Conclusion : This study shows that the acupuncture has the analgesic effect in the abdominal pain induced by acetic acid and the thalamus might be a important area for this mechanism.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.195-199
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• 1996

Based on points of neuroendocrine physiology, stimulus developed at the acupuncture site can pass to the pituitary gland through somatosensory and activated descending inhibitory mechanism which originated in raphe magnus of midbrain. For the operation of mandible fracture, acupuncture anesthesia was performed at 6 points of both forearm and both feet by method taking point on distant segment. Acupuncture anesthesia deals with central analgesic mechanism and the theory of diffuse noxious inhibitory control.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.133-144
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• 2004

Background and Objective : Twirling is one of the needling methods, which is frequently used for acupuncture in oriental medicine. Some thesis about needle manipulation has been reported that needle manipulation is more effective than plain acupuncture. So we have developed the auto-controlled twirling needle(ACTN) system which is most simple style of needle manipulation. The present study was conducted to see if ACTN can enhance the antinociceptive effect of acupuncture. Methods : To investigate the analgesic effect of acupuncture we used two pain model. One is acute pain model using tail flick latency(TFL), the other is neuropathic pain model using mechanical allodynia. For TFL test, rats were lightly anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium(40 mg/kg, i.p). To produce mechanical allodynia in the rat tail, the right superior caudal trunk was resected between the S1 and S2 spinal nerves. For plain acupuncture(PA), a needle was inserted into a Zusanli(ST36) for 15min. In combining ACTN with PA, twirling needle was performed once in a second. We measured the difference of analgesic effect of only PA and ACTN on two different kinds of pain. Results and conclusion : ACTN increased TFL more than PA. (15min P<0.001, 25min P<0.01). And ACTN also reduced neuropathic pain (15min P<0.01, 25min<0.05). But PA alone can't reduce the neuropathic pain. These results indicate that ACRN had more analgesic effect than PA. The mechanism that play a key role, and the condition which produce best analgesic effect of ACTN are to be studied further.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2008

Background : Acupuncture has been used as a clinical treatment in Oriental medicine for various diseases including pain relief. The descending pain control system of periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a powerful pain control system in mammalians. Expression of c-Fos is used as a marker for stimuli-induced metabolic changes of neurons. Objective : In the present study, the effects of acupuncture on analgesic effect in visceral pain were investigated through the writhing reflex and c-Fos expression in ventrolateral PAG (vlPAG) area using immunohistochemistry in mice. Method : For the writhing test, mice were divided into five groups. Immediately after finishing the behavioral test, the animals were weighed and overdosed with Zoletil. After a complete lack of response was observed, the brains of the mice were dissected into serial coronal sections, and c-Fos immunohistochemistry was performed. Statistical analysis of all data was performed using one-way ANOVA. Result : The present results showed that acupuncture affected the writhing reflex and that Choksamni (zusnali) acupoint and aspirin significantlysuppressed acetic acid treatment-induced increased writhing reflex, and the expression of c-Fos in vlPAG was significantly increased in the acupunctured group. Conclusion : The present study suggests that acupuncture has an antinociceptive effect on acetic acid-induced visceral pain by increase of c-Fos expression in mice. Aspirin also showed analgesic effect, however the mechanism is different from the acupuncture.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 1983

It is well known that the acupuncture has been used effectively for the relief of certain types of pain. Although the precise mechanism of action of acupuncture analgesia is unknown, it is generally accepted that their analgesic properties are related to the activation of endogenous opiate system in central nervous system. And it is suggested that pain-relieving properties of acupunture may be related to a stimulation of peripheral nerve underlying the acupuncture point on the skin. However, the efficacy of acupuncture has no relationship between the site of pain and the acupuncture point. Consequently, the present study was undertaken to investigate electroacupuncture analgesia in relation to the site of peripheral nerve stimulation. Cats were decerebrated ischemically and the flexion reflex as an index of pain was elicited by stimulating the sural nerve (20V, 0.5 msec duration) and recored as a compound action potential from the nerve innervated to the posterior biceps femoris muscle in the ipsilateral hindlimb. Bilateral common peroneal nerve and contralateral superficial radial nerve were selected as the site of peripheral nerve stimulation. For the stimulation of peripheral nerve, a stimulus of 20 V intensity, 2 msec-duration and 2 Hz-frequency was applied for 60 min respectively. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1) Both stimulation of contralateral common peronal nerve and contralateral superficial radial nerve did not change the flexion reflex and there were no significant differences between them. 2) Stimulation of ipsilateral common peroneal nerve markedly depress the flexion reflex, the effect being reversed by naloxone application. These results suggest that stimulation of ipsilateral common peroneal nerve has the analgesic effect but both stimulation of contralteral common peroneal nerve and contralateral superficial radial nerve to the pain site where flexion reflex was elicited have no analgesic effect.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2016

Objectives : The objective of this study is to evaluate the analgesic effects of Drosera rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture on formalin-induced pain in Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats. Methods : In this experiment there were four groups, each with six SD rats. In the normal group (NOR), normal saline $40{\mu}L$ was injected at right KI3, and normal saline $40{\mu}L$ was injected at right hindpaw 35 minutes later. In the control group (CON), normal saline $40{\mu}L$ was injected at right KI3, and formalin 5 % $40{\mu}L$ was injected at right hindpaw 35 minutes later. In the Drosera rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture 3 % group (DP3), Drosera rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture 3 % $40{\mu}L$ was injected at right KI3, and formalin 5 % $40{\mu}L$ was injected at right hindpaw 35 minutes later. In the Drosera rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture 5 % group (DP5), Drosera rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture 5 % $40{\mu}L$ was injected at right KI3, and formalin 5 % $40{\mu}L$ was injected at right hindpaw 35 minutes later. We analyzed ultrasonic vocalization (USV), Substance P, aspartate aminotransferase(AST), and alanine aminotransferase(ALT). Results : In the early phase of USV, both DP3 and DP5 had an analgesic effect. In the late phase, DP5 had an analgesic effect compared to CON. Substance P in DP5 was significantly decreased compared to CON. In regards to blood AST and ALT, there was no significant difference among NOR, CON, DP3 or DP5. Conclusion : These results suggest that Drosera rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture helps to reduce formalin-induced pain. It's mechanism is related to substance P, and Drosera rotundifolia L. pharmacopuncture has no influence on liver toxicity.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.715-723
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• 1999

Bee venom (BV) has been traditionally applied to relieve pain and to cure inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and neuritis. While several investigators have evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of BV treatment, the anti-nociceptive effect of BV treatment on inflammatory pain is not reported. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the analgesic effect of BV treatment using Freund's adjuvant induced chronic arthritis model. Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis has been used as an experimental animal model for RA in humans to assess the efficacy of the anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs. In this study, subcutaneous BV treatment (1mg/kg/day) produced significantly reductions of symptoms related to arthritic pain (i.e. mechanical hyperalgesia and thermal hyperalgesia). The anti-nociceptive effect of BV was observed from at least 12 days after BV treatment. Furthermore, BV treatment significantly suppressed adjuvant induced Fos expression in lumbar spinal cord. We also found that local injection of BV into near the inflammatory site (especially Zusanli-acupoint) showed more potent analgesic effect on arthritic pain rather than distant injection of BV from inflammatory site (arbitrary side of back). The present study demonstrates that BV treatment has anti-nociceptive effect on arthritis induced inflammatory pain. The analgesic effect of BV on RA is probably mediated by the effect of BV itself or possible other mechanism such as counter-irritation. Furthermore, it is possible that BV acupuncture is one of the promising candidates for long-term therapy of RA.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.41-50
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• 2002

Objective : To study anti-inflammatory, analgesic effect and molecular biological mechanism of honey bee venom for aqua-acupuncture, human mast cell line(HMC-1) and human glioma cell line(HS683) were treated with bee venom. Methods : Cell viability of bee venom was tested by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) asssay. To explore whether anti-inflammatory, analgesic effects of bee venom are associated with the control of gene expression, quantitative RT-PCR analysis of inflammation and pain related genes was performed. Results : The MTT assay demonstrated that cell viability was not decreased by treatment with 10-9 ug/ml bee venom in comparison with 10-2, 10-3, 10-4, 10-5, 10-6, 10-7, 10-8, 10-9, 10-10 and 10-11 ug/ml. sPLA2 and COX-l were down-regulated by treatment with 10-9 ug/ml bee venom in HS683 Cell line in comparison with control. COX-2 was up-regulated by treatment with 10-9 ug/ml bee venom in HS683 Cell line and HSP-2 was up-regulated by treatment with 10-9 ug/ml bee venom in HMC-1 Cell line in comparison with control. sPLA2, COX-1 and COX-2 showed no significant regulation in HMC-1 Cell line and cPLA2 also showed no significant regulation in both HMC-l and HS683 Cell line between control and bee venom treated group.