• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.201-211
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to comprehensively review Korean domestic studies and investigate the research trends of pharmacopuncture therapy on cervical pain caused by traffic accidents. Methods: Domestic studies between February 1999 and May 2020 from four Korean databases were searched with combinations of keywords 'cervical pain', 'traffic accident', 'whiplash injury', and 'pharmacopuncture'. Results: 17 studies were selected for review, including 7 randomized controlled trials, 5 retrospective observational studies, 3 case reports, and 2 non-randomized controlled trials. Each study was reviewed by published year, study type, types of pharmacopuncture solutions, selected acupuncture points, dosage of pharmacopuncture solutions, frequency of treatment, concurrent treatments, outcome measurements, and the effectiveness of pharmacopuncture therapy. The results are as follows: (1) It showed that the total number of published studies had increased slightly in the last 10 years compared to the previous decade. (2) The pharmacopuncture solutions used in the studies were in the following order: Bee-Venom (蜂毒), Jungsongouhyul (中性瘀血), Hwangryunhaedoktang (黃連解毒湯) and Soyeom (消炎). Frequently used acupuncture points were GB20, GV21, A-shi point, GV16, EX-B2, and SI15 in order. (3) The most commonly used total injection dosage was 1.0 cc at a time, and the frequency of treatment was twice a week. (4) Concurrent treatments such as acupuncture, herbal medication, physical therapy and Chuna manual therapy were performed in all 17 studies. (5) Pharmacopuncture therapy showed positive effects on cervical pain caused by traffic accidents in all 17 studies reviewed. Conclusion: Pharmacopuncture therapy was effective in cervical pain caused by traffic accidents in all 17 studies selected. Further studies will be needed using more larger scales and more objective data to confirm the effectiveness of pharmacopuncture therapy and to generalize its application.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.13-24
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• 2005

Background and Objectives : Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely used for the treatment of many functional disorders such as substance abuse and mental dysfunction. Clinical trials are currently underway to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of drug addiction. Yet, there are still many unanswered questions about the basic mechanism of acupuncture. Studies have shown that both the psychomotor stimulant effects and rewarding properties of addictive drugs, including morphine, are sensitized by repeated drug administration and raised the possibility that both of these effects may be linked to the same or closely overlapping the mesolimbic dopamine systems. Neiguan (PC6) point on the pericardium channel which is associated with the brain and its mental function, has been used to treat mental, psychosomatic disorders and gastroenterological disorders. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on repeated morphine-induced changes in extracellular dopamine levels using in vivo microdialysis and to measure the effect of acupuncture on Fos-like immunoreactivity. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated twice a day for three days with increasing doses of morphine (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, s.c.) or with saline. After 15 days of withdrawal, rats were challenged with morphine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Acupuncture was applied at bilateral Neiguan (PC6) points for 1 min after the morphine challenge. Results showed that acupuncture at the specific acupoint PC6, but not at control points (tail and HE8) significantly decreased Fos-like immunoreactivity induced by a systemic morphine challenge or a single s.c. morphine injection in the morphine-repeated animals. Results and Conclusions : These results suggest that reduction in sensitization may be one mechanism whereby acupuncture alleviates morphine craving in addicts. Moreover, in a more general sense these results suggest that acupuncture can be used as a therapeutic intervention for correcting reversible malfunction of the body by direction of brain pathway and thus acupuncture can contribute to the biochemical balance in the central nervous system by regulating neurotransmitters.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.982-992
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• 2005

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely used for the treatment of many functional disorders such as substance abuse and mental dysfunction. Clinical trials are currently underway to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of drug addiction. Yet, there are still many unanswered questions about the basic mechanism of acupuncture. Studies have shown that both the psychomotor stimulant effects and rewarding properties of addictive drugs, including morphine, are sensitized by repeated drug administration and raised the possibility that both of these effects may De linked to the same or closely overlapping the mesolimbic dopamine systems. Neiguan (PC6) point on the pericardium channel which is associated with the brain and its mental function, has been used to treat mental, psychosomatic disorders and gastroenterological disorders. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of acupuncture on repeated morphine-induced changes in extracellular dopamine levels using in vivo microdialysis and to measure the effect of acupuncture on repeated morphine-induced behavioral changes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated twice a day for three days with increasing doses of morphine (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, s.c.) or with saline. After 15 days of withdrawal, rats were challenged with morphine hydrochloride (5 mg/kg, s.c.). Acupuncture was applied at bilateral Neiguan (PC6) points for 1min after the morphine challenge. Results showed that acupuncture at the specific acupoint PC6, but not at control points (tail and HE8) significantly decreased both dopamine release, behavior induced by a systemic morphine challenge or a single s.c. morphine injection in the morphine-repeated animals. These results suggest that reduction in sensitization may be one mechanism whereby acupuncture alleviates morphine craving in addicts. Moreover, in a more general sense these results suggest that acupuncture can be used as a therapeutic intervention for correcting reversible malfunction of the body by direction of brain pathway and thus acupuncture can contribute to the biochemical balance in the central nervous system by regulating neurotransmitters.

• 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 Pharmacopuncture
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.25-30
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• 2009

Objectives: To find the potential acupuncture points by using Trypan blue staining on the skin of rat and Nude mouse. Methods: 0.4% Trypan blue was applied to the skin of rat or Nude mouse previously treated by surfactant. Washing by warm saline was followed after enough application of trypan blue and surfactant. Frequency of Trypan blue application should be varied to the experimental animals' condition for visualizing significant spots. Results: Blue spots appeared roughly in symmetry along kidney meridian or stomach meridian. Several spots outside of kidney or stomach meridian were also observed; however, the detail stereoscopic images of those blue spots were slightly different according to the position blue-colored. DiI signals were visualized along blood vessel after DiI injection into the Trypan blue-visualized blue spots. Conclusion: Our method to visualize the potential acupuncture points as a blue spot on rat and Nude mouse skins may contribute to the next step for finding specific flowing channels among blue spots.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.185-192
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze trends in domestic and international clinical research studies on pharmacopuncture treatment for fractures. We searched five online databases (PubMed, CNKI, RISS, KISS, and OASIS), and selected a total of 13 clinical research studies from Korea and China. Selected studies were analyzed according to publication year, subject, intervention, treatment method, evaluation scale, adverse event, risk of bias, etc. A total of 10 case studies and 3 randomized controlled trials were included. The study subjects were more often female, and the most common type of fracture was vertebral compression fracture. In Korea, herbal medicine preparations and bee venom were used for pharmacopuncture solution, whereas in China, both herbal medicine preparations and Western medicine preparations were used. All studies commonly used local acupoint needling, and in most cases, the treatment period for case study was less than 1 month, and the observation period of randomized controlled trials was diverse. The most frequently used evaluation scale was numeric rating scale, adverse events were mentioned in only three studies, and no adverse events were reported. Overall risk of bias of all included randomized controlled trials was judged "some concerns". According to this study, pharmacopuncture treatment for fractures was found to be relatively effective and safe, but research that complements the limitations of this study is needed.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.40-49
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• 2014

Objectives: The gastric ulcer is a common disorder of the stomach and duodenum. The basic physiopathology of a gastric ulcer results from an imbalance between some endogenous aggressive and cytoprotective factors. This study examined whether Ganoderma lucidum pharmacopuncture (GLP) would provide protection against acute gastric ulcers in rats. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into 4 groups of 8 rats each: normal, control, normal saline (NP) and GLP groups. The experimental acute gastric ulcer was induced by using an EtOH/HCl solution and the normal group received the same amount of normal saline instead of ethanol. The NP and the GLP groups were treated once with injections of saline and GLP, respectively. Two local acupoints were used: CV12 (中脘) which is the alarm point of the Stomach Meridian, and ST36 (足三里), which is the sea point of the Stomach Meridian. The stomachs from the rats in each group were collected and analyzed for gross appearance and histology. Also, immunohistochemistry staining for BAX, Bcl-2 and TGF-${\beta}1$ was performed. Results: Histological observations of the gastric lesions in the control group showed comparatively extensive damage of the gastric mucosa and necrotic lesions had penetrated deeply into the mucosa. The lesions were long, hemorrhagic, and confined to the glandular portions. The lesions were measured microscopically by using the clear depth of penetration into the gastric mucosal surface. The length and the width of the ulcer were measured and the inhibition percentage was calculated. Wound healing of the acute gastric ulcer was promoted by using GLP, and significant alterations of indices in gastric mucosa were observed. Such protection was shown by gross appearance, histology and immunohistochemistry staining for BAX, Bcl-2 and TGF-${\beta}1$. Conclusion: These results suggest that GLP administered at CV12 and ST36 can provide significant protection to the gastric mucosa against an ethanol-induced acute gastric ulcer.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.57-74
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• 2005

Objective : Frutus gardeniae, seed of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is one of the crude drugs used for the treatment of inflammatory condition in oriental medicine. Methodes : The present study aimed to examine the analgesic effect and anti-inflammatory effect of Frutus gardeniae extract (FGE) on a rat model of ankle sprain pain, and the relations between FGE-induced effect and endogenous nitric oxide (NO) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and c-Fos protein expression in the spinal cord. As a chronic pain model, ankle sprain pain model was used to test the effect of FCE injection applied to acupuncture point. After the induction of ankle sprain, rats subsequently showed a reduced stepping force of the affected limb for at least the next 4 days. The reduced stepping force of the limb was presumably due to a painful knee. FGE dissolved in normal saline was injected several acupoints. Results : After the treatment, behavioral tests measuring stepping force were periodically conducted during the next 8 hours. FGE produced significant improvement of stepping force of the hindlimb affected by the ankle sprain lasting at least 4 hours. FGE produced the improvement of stepping force of the affected hindlimb in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, FGE injection showed inhibitory effect on the paw edema induced by ankle sprain. Both NO production and iNOS, COX-2 protein expression increased by ankle sprain were suppressed by FGE. FGE on combination with electroacupuncture (EA) produced more powerful and longer lasting improvement of stepping force of the hindlimb affected by the ankle sprain than either FGE or EA did. The present study suggest that FGE produces a potent analgesic effect on the ankle sprain pain model of the rat and that FGE-induced analgesia modulate endogenous NO through the suppression of iNOS/COX-2 protein expression.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.169-189
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• 2000

To investigate effects of vanous herbal-acupuncture, which were Daebangpungtang, Oyaksungisan, Dokhwalgisaengtang, and Binsosan on Adjuvant Arthritis in rats, the edema rate, the number of WBC, the quantity of TNF-${\alpa}$, COX -2, and IL-6, and histological test of the muscular tissue were measured in the arthritis part. After elicilating arthritis of Sprague Dawely(SD) rats by injection of Freund's complets adjuvant for 2 weeks, saline was injected for the control group, Daebangpungtang acua-acupuncture was injected for the Daebangpungtang group, Oyaksungisan acua-acupuncture was injected for the Oyaksungisan group, Dokhwalgisaengtang acua-acupuncture was injected for the Dokhwalgisaengtang group, and Binsosan acua-acupuncture was injected for the Binsosan group during 30days. Selected point was ST35 in all groups. 1. The number of WBC was $8.24{\pm}0.51$($10^3$/ml) in the normal group and $27.35{\pm}3.51$($10^3$/ml) in the control group. the Daebangpungtang group and the Oyaksungisan group decreased each $20.42{\pm}2.75$($10^3$/ml) and $19.78{\pm}4.99$($10^3$/ml) in the Exp.ll group. This fact showed that the group Exp.ll was more effective than the control group effectively. (P<0.05) 2. The volume of the paw were checked. The volume of paw was $0.62{\pm}0.11mm in the control group and $0.45{\pm}0.08$mm in the Daebangpungtang group and $0.47{\pm}0.07$mm in the Oyaksungisan group, the swelling of the paw was restricted significantly in the Daebangpungtang and Oyaksungisan group(P<0.05) 3. The bands of the TNF-${\alpa}$, COX -2 in the muscular tissue of the control group wcre certain and thick than other groups(except normal group), and the band of the IL-6 in the muscular tissue of all group(except normal group) were similar forms. 4. In histological finding, because of severe inflammatory reaction, remarkably irregular tissue and large amount of inflammatory cells were found in thc control and Dokhwalgisaengtang group. But the Oyaksungisan and Daebangpul1gtang group showed small amount of inflammatory cells, the refrained inflammatory state and even recovering state. From these results, it is showed Oyaksugisan and Daebangpungtang acua-acupuncturc refrain inflammatory reaction and muscular tissue necrosis in SD rats paw were induced by Freund's complete adjuvant

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.77-87
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• 2000

Objectives : To investigate effects of Achyranthis Radix aqua-acupuncture on adjuvant arthritis in rats. Methods : After eliciting arthritis in Sprague dawley(SD) rats by injection of Freund's complete adjuvant for 2 weeks, normal saline was injected for the Exp. I group and Achyranthis Radix aqua-acupuncture was injected for the Exp. II group during 30days. The selected point was Dokbi (ST35) in both groups. Then the edema rate, the number of WBC, the quantity of total protein, albumin and globuline in the blood serum, and histological test of the muscular tissue were measured in the arthritis stricken areas. Results : I) The volume of the paws were checked. The volume of the paws was $0.84{\pm}0.l4mm$ in the Exp. I group and $0.47{\pm}0.14mm$ in the Exp. IIgroup. The swelling of the paws was restricted significantly in the Exp. II group(P<0.05). 2) The number of WBC was $10.34{\pm}0.14(l03/ml)$ in the normal group and $37.47{\pm}5.46(103/ml)$ in the Exp. I group. It was $21.24{\pm}2.58(103/ml)$ in the Exp. II group. This fact showed that treatment with Achyranthis Radix aqua-acupuncture adminstered to the Exp. II group was more effective than the Exp. I group in the treatment of arthritis(P<0.05). 3) The content of the total protein in the blood serum was $6.14{\pm}43g/dl$ in the normal group, $7.95{\pm}0.94g/dl$ in the Exp. I group, and $6.41{\pm}0.68g/dl$ in the Exp. II group. There was no significance in total protein between the Exp. II group and the Exp. I group from the statistical analysis. 4) The content of albumin in the blood serum was $2.94{\pm}0.l3g/dl$ in the normal group, $2.01{\pm}0.48g/dl$ in the Exp. I group and $3.15{\pm}0.27g/dl$ in the Exp. II group, which revealed a significant increase in the serum albumin from the statistical analysis of the Exp. II group compared with the Exp. I group. 5) The content of the globulin in the blood serum was $3.19{\pm}$0.48g/dl in the normal group, $4.70{\pm}1.26g/dl$ in the Exp. I group and $3.26{\pm}0.57g/dl$ in the Exp. II group. There was no significance in the serum globulin between the Exp. II group and Exp. I group from the statistical analysis. 6) In histological findings, because of severe inflammatory reaction, remarkably irregular tissue and large amount of inflammatory cells were found in the Exp. I group. But the Exp. II group showed a small amount of inflammatory cells, the refrained inflammatory state and even recovering state. Conclusions : These results show that Achyranthis Radix aqua-acupuncture reduces the inflammatory reaction and muscular tissue necrosis in SD rat's paws induced by Freund's complete adjuvant.