• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1001-1006
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• 2004

In order to examine the anti-arthritic properties of ShinEumHur(SEH)-herbal acupuncture, an adjuvant-induced arthritic rat was generated by the intra-articular injection of dried cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis emulsified in squalene into the right knee joint. Fifty microliter of SEH extract was injected into Zusanli(ST36) acupoint on the ipsilateral hind paw every other day for 2 weeks. The body weight, knee circumference, squeak threshold, and weight distribution ratio were analyzed as the assessment methods addressing arthritic symptoms such as arthritic pain, edema, and tenderness. The weight distribution ratio was measured by a digital-type analgesia instrument using the dual channel scale that separately measures the weight the arthritic rat distributes to each hind paw, and thus quantifies both of swelling and pain severities at once. The therapeutic effects of SEH-herbal acupuncture, assessed by squeaking threshold and weight distribution ratio, were observed on 8th day after the arthritis induction as compared to saline group and control group. On 10th day, SEH-herbal acupuncture therapy significantly started to alleviate the growing pattern of knee circumference of an arthritic rat in the range of 0.2㎝. However, the loss of body weight was not significantly recovered. Taken together, the SEH-herbal acupuncture exhibited the significant therapeutic efficiency to treat adjuvant-induced monoarthritis in rat.