Journal of the Korean Institute of Herbal Acupuncture

Article Outline

 

In this issue of the journal, recommended articles are selected from the Journal of the Korean Institute of Herbal Acupuncture (ISSN: 1226-4849)

Journal of the Korean Institute of Herbal Acupuncture, Volume 11, No. 1, 21-29

The Effect of Sweet Bee Venom Pharmacopuncture (SBVP) on Cancer-related Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial and Double-blind Pilot Study

Hwa-Seung Yoo, Jung-Sun Kim

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the therapeutic effects of SBVP in the treatment of patients with cancer-related pain.

Design: A prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of SBVP.

Setting: The study was conducted at the East West Cancer Center of Daejeon University's Dunsan Oriental Hospital from March 1, 2007 to June 20, 2007.

Patients: Eleven patients diagnosed with cancer-related pain over the 3^rd degree on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS; 0 being no pain at all and 10 being the worst pain imaginable) were entered into a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of SBVP. They were randomized into Groups A and B (SBVP and control group, respectively) by using a table of random sampling numbers and were never informed of their affiliation by the coordinator. Five of six patients in Group A and four of five patients in Group B completed the clinical trial.

Intervention: SBVP (1 mL/day) for group A and a normal saline placebo (1 mL/day) for group B were injected into the abdomen acupoint, Zhong Wan (CV 12). The treatment was administered daily for 5 days.

Outcome measures: The degree of cancer-related pain was measured using the NRS before and after each treatment for “Pain right now” and “average pain in the last 24 hours.”

Statistical analysis: The analysis of the variations in the NRS was carried out by applying t-tests (independent sample t-test and paired sample t-test) and the Wilcoxon signed rank test with the level of significance set at 5%.

Results: Differences in the NRS for “Pain right now” in the two groups were statistically significant. The mean improvement point of the SBVP was significantly higher than that of the control group (2.48 ± 1.52 vs. 0.97 ± 1.88, p<0.05). Differences in average pain score before and after treatment in the SBVP group were also significant (5.13 ± 1.77 vs. 2.65 ± 0.67, p<0.05) compared with those in the control group. The two groups showed no significant differences for long-term effects in “average pain in the last 24 hours.”

Conclusion: Although further study will be needed on a larger scale, SBVP shows potential as an effective treatment for immediate relief of cancer-related pain.

Journal of the Korean Institute of Herbal Acupuncture, Volume 11, No. 2, 5–12

Intradermal Alcian-blue Injection Method to Trace Acupuncture Meridians

Baeckkyoung Sung, Min-Su Kim, Vyacheslav Ogay, Dae-In Kang, Kwang-Sup Soh

Abstract

Objective: In this article, we report on the intradermal Alcian-blue staining method for tracing the meridians of acupuncture.

Methods: One percent Alcian-blue solution was injected into acupoints by using a 0.5 mL insulin syringe with a 31-gauge needle. The skin was then incised and was observed under a stereoscopic microscope. The specimens were examined by using immunohistochemical methods and were observed under a confocal laser scanning microscope.

Results: A thread-like structure, which was visualized with Alcian-blue, existed in the dermis layer and proceeded to the hypodermis. In this structure, characteristic alignments of rod-shaped nuclei and 1 to 2 μm-sized DNA granules were observed. Furthermore, abundant blood capillary plexuses, peripheral nerve endings and a corpuscle-like structure (about 300 μm in diameter) were observed in the skin tissues of the acupoints.

Conclusion: We concluded that the specific thread-like and corpuscle-like structures corresponded to a superficial Bonghan duct and corpuscle, respectively.

Journal of the Korean Institute of Herbal Acupuncture, Volume 11, No. 2, 13–19

Two Cases of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Intravenous Cultivated Wild Ginseng Pharmacopuncture

Sun-Hwi Bang, Ki-Rok Kwon, Hwa-Seung Yoo

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the therapeutic effects of intravenously-injected cultivated wild ginseng (Panax ginseng, C.A. Meyer) pharmacopuncture (CWGP) in treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Design: Prospective case series.

Setting: This study was conducted at the East-West Cancer Center of Dunsan Oriental Hospital, Daejeon University.

Patients: Two non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Intervention: Two non-small cell lung cancer patients were injected intravenously with CWGP (20 mL/day) mixed with 0.9% normal saline (100 mL). One patient received a total of 16 cycles, and the other received a total of nine cycles. One cycle is composed of 14 days.

Outcome measures: The effect of intravenous CWGP was measured by scanning with computed tomography (CT) after every two cycles and with positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) after every six cycles. Response and progression were evaluated using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) Committee classification of complete response (CR), partial response (PR), progressive disease (PD) and stable disease (SD).

Results: The two patients were treated with intravenous CWGP for 8 and 5 months, respectively with each tumor remaining as a stable disease (SD).

Conclusion: These cases indicate that intravenous CWGP may offer potential benefits for non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Journal of the Korean Institute of Herbal Acupuncture, Volume 11, No. 2, 97–110

Clinical Study of Shoulder Pain with Oriental Medical Treatment Only and with Oriental-Western Medical Treatments Together

Hee-Yoon Lee, Hyoun-Min Youn, Won-Il Kim

Abstract

Objectives: This study compared the results in two groups of patients with shoulder pain, one with Oriental medical treatment only and the other with Oriental-Western medical treatments together.

Methods: The 49 shoulder-pain patients who participated in the clinical study, both at the Bukpyeoung Haemalkeun Oriental Medical Clinic and at the Bukpyeoung Medical Clinic in Donghae City, were classified into two groups. Group A was treated with Oriental medical therapy only and group B was treated with Oriental-Western medical treatments together. The patients were treated three times a week for 4 weeks.

Results: After 1, 2 and 4 weeks of each treatment, the scores of the two groups for ‘subjective symptoms of shoulder pain,’ ‘indisposition index of everyday life,’ ‘shoulder pain and disability index’ and ‘visual analog scale’ were significantly lower than they were before treatment.

Conclusion: Treatment of group B was better than treatment of group A, but there was no significant difference in therapeutic action between the two groups.

Journal of the Korean Institute of Herbal Acupuncture, Volume 11, No. 3, 67–78

A Study on the Comparison of Antioxidant Effects among Wild Ginseng, Cultivated Wild Ginseng and Cultivated Ginseng Extracts

Hae Young Jang, Hee Soo Park, Ki Rok Kwon, Tae Jin Rhim

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the antioxidant effects among wild ginseng, cultivated wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng extracts.

Methods: In vitro antioxidant activities were examined by using the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), the oxygen radical scavenging capacity (ORAC), the total phenolic content, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, the inhibition of induced lipid peroxidation using liver mitochondria and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging effect using 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) fluorescence.

Results: (1) The TACs of 1.5 and 3.75 mg extracts were highest in cultivated wild ginseng, followed by wild ginseng and were lowest in cultivated ginseng. (2) The ORACs of 2, 10 and 20 μg extracts were highest in cultivated wild ginseng, followed by wild ginseng and were lowest in cultivated ginseng. (3) The total phenolic contents of 0.375, 0.938 and 1.875 mg extracts were highest in cultivated wild ginseng, followed by wild ginseng and were lowest in cultivated ginseng. (4) The DPPH scavenging activities between wild ginseng and cultivated wild ginseng did not differ significantly (p>0.05). (5) Induced lipid peroxidation, measured by using the TBARS concentration in a solution containing rat liver mitochondria incubated in the presence of FeSO₄/ascorbic acid, was inhibited more as the amounts of wild ginseng, cultivated wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng extracts were increased. The TBARS concentrations of the cultivated ginseng extracts were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of the wild ginseng or the cultivated wild ginseng extracts. (6) The DCF fluorescence intensity decreased as the concentrations of wild ginseng, cultivated wild ginseng and cultivated ginseng extracts were increased, demonstrating that ROS generation was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner.

Conclusion: In summary, the results of this study demonstrate that cultivated wild ginseng extracts had antioxidant activities similar to those of wild ginseng extracts and greater than those of cultivated ginseng extracts.

Journal of the Korean Institute of Herbal Acupuncture, Volume 11, No. 3, 123–131

Effect of Hominis Placenta Pharmacopuncture on Dysmenorrhea

Su-Min Kim, Sun-Hee Jang, Cheol-Hong Kim, Hyoun-Min Youn, Choon-Ho Song, Chang-Beohm Ahn, Kyung-Jeon Jang

Abstract

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of hominis placenta pharmacopuncture treatment on the symptoms of dysmenorrhea in women.

Methods: Forty-nine subjects who were suffering from dysmenorrhea volunteered to answer the MMP (Measure of Menstrual Pain) and MSSL (Menstrual Symptom Severity List) questionnaire. They were divided into two groups, a hominis placenta pharmacopuncture treatment group (experimental group; n = 25) and a normal saline (N/S) treatment group (control group; n = 24). The two groups were injected on the CV4, S36, Sp9 and Sp6 acupuncture points. They were treated totally five times, depending on the individual menstruation cycles. The MMP and the MSSL scores were measured overall three times before and after the menstruation cycle. The collected data were analyzed using the paired t-test and the independent t-test with the SPSS 12.0 WIN Program.

Results: Based on the MMP and the MSSL results, a significant improvement in patients with dysmenorrhea was observed in the two groups (p < 0.05), and both scores for the experimental group decreased more than they did in the control group, but the difference between the two groups was not significant.

Conclusions: The hominis placenta pharmacopuncture treatment and the normal saline treatment were effective in decreasing the symptoms of dysmenorrhea.