Journal of Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute

Article Outline

 

The recommended articles in this article have been selected from the Journal of Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute (ISSN: 1226-4849) and the Journal of Meridian and Acupoint (ISSN: 1229-7933), both published in Korean.

Journal of Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Volume 11, No. 4, 5-14, 2008

Gene expression Analysis by cDNA Microarray in Whallak-tang

Cheol-kyung Sin, Chae-woo Lee, Sun-ae Yoo, Hyoun-min Youn, Kyung-jeon Jang, Choon-ho Song, Chang-beohm Ahn, and Cheol-hong Kim

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of Whallak-tang on the expression of CD/cytokine genes by complementary DNA (cDNA) microarray analysis using a human mast cell line (HMC-l). The expression of ATP5F1, FLJ20671, unknown, KIAA0342, OAS2, and unknown genes were increased 200-300% and the expressions of unknown, MDS006, IFITM1, MRPL3, ZNF207, FTH1, FBP1, NRGN, NR1H2, and KIAA0747 genes were decreased 0-33%. These results provide important basic data on the possibility of using Whallak-tang in clinical treatments of musculoskeletal disease.

Keywords: cDNA microarray, musculoskeletal disease, Whallak-tang

Journal of Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Volume 11, No. 4, 15-24, 2008

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Bee Venom and Sweet Bee Venom Therapy for Chronic Lower Back Pain

Jae-Hong Kim, Sun-Hee Jang, Hyun-min Yoon, Jang Kyung-jun, Chang-beohm Ahn, Cheol-Hong Kim, Choon-Ho Song, and Han-Na Choi

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate if sweet bee venom (SBV) therapy had effects on chronic lower back pain equal to bee venom (BV) therapy. Clinical studies involved 39 patients treated for chronic lower back pain at the Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Dongeui University from March 1 to June 30, 2008. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups: the BV-treated group (Group A, n = 19), and the SBV treated group (Group B, n = 20). Both groups were treated with dry-needle acupuncture with Group A given BV therapy and Group B SBV therapy, with all steps of the treatment performed in double-blind fashion. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to estimate the efficacy of each venom in controlling pain; the Oswestry Lower Back Disability Questionnaire (ODI) was used to evaluate functional changes in the patients; and a visual analog scale (VAS) used to estimate itching, the most prominent symptom of allergic reaction. In terms of controlling pain, the results for Group A were better than for Group B. In promoting function, the results for Group A were better than for Group B. In controlling itching, the results for Group B were better than for Group A. According to the results, SBV therapy appeared to be more effective than BV therapy in controlling itching, but BV therapy is more effective than SBV therapy in controlling pain and promoting function.

Keywords: bee venom, chronic lower back pain, sweet bee venom

Journal of Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Volume 11, No. 4, 49-58, 2008

A Clinical Study of Blood Lipids as a Risk Factor of Cerebral Infarction

Yeon-hui Son, Sang-hee Lee, Jae-kyu Kim, Hyun-yun Jeong, Young-kyun Kim, and Jung-nam Kwon

Abstract The purpose of this case-control study was to examine the relationships among acute brain infarction, silent brain infarction, and blood lipids. Cholesterol and lipoproteins were analyzed in blood from three groups: an acute brain infarction patient group (n = 99), a silent brain infarction patient group (n = 101), and a control group (n = 153). The obtained data was analyzed by frequency analysis, one-way ANOVA, the post hoc test (Duncan), and Pearson's correlation. The results were as follows: high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Chol) was significantly lower in the acute infarction group while the blood level of total cholesterol (T-Chol) was significantly higher in the silent infarction group. The relationship among significant variables in T-Chol and HDL-Chol, and diabetes mellitus, and age, showed that they had a positive correlation with each other. There were negative correlations between sex and HDL-Chol, age and HDL-Chol, and diabetes mellitus. These results suggest that low HDL-Chol might be a risk factor for acute brain infarction.

Keywords: acute brain infarction, blood lipid, case-control study, risk factor, silent brain infarction

Journal of Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Volume 11, No. 4, 65-77, 2008

Recent Research Trends in Korean Medical Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Han-sung Jung, Jung-suk Yu, Beom-yong Song

Abstract The purpose of this study was to analyze the research trends of Korean medical treatments for diabetes mellitus. A total of 52 studies on diabetes mellitus published from 2000 to 2007 were selected and reviewed using a search of the web sites of five journals: the Journal of the Korean Oriental Medical Society, the Korean Journal of Oriental Physiology & Pathology, the Journal of Korean Acupuncture & Moxibustion Society, the Korean Journal of Oriental Internal Medicine, and the Journal of Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute. 1. The diabetes mellitus models in the studies used alloxan (two cases), streptozotocin (41 cases), NOD mice (one case), ob/ob mice (one case), db/db mice (five cases), and rats fed high fat diets (two cases). 2. The types of methods used in the studies were pharmacopuncture (eight cases), herbal medicine (47 cases), and both pharmacopuncture and herbal medicine (three cases). The types of materials used in the studies were single herb (24 cases), multiple herbs (32 cases), and both single and multiple herbs (four cases). 3. The evaluation criteria in the studies were glucose, pancreas, liver, kidney, serum lipid, oxidative stress, nervous system, vascular system, and immunity. There have been many reported studies on diabetes mellitus in Korean medicine, but further research into the types of diabetes mellitus, a greater number of herb varieties, and the complications of diabetes mellitus are needed for Korean medical treatment to adequately address diabetes mellitus.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus, herb, Korean medicine, pharmacopuncture

Journal of Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute, Volume 11, No. 4, 79-86, 2008

A Clinical Study on the Effect of Hominis Placenta Pharmacopuncture on Asthma

So-yol Lee, Kyung-min Shin, Jang-mu Hong, Soon-young Choi, Kwang-rok Bae, and Han-kyum Kim

Abstract The purpose of this study is to report the effects of Hominis Placenta pharmacopuncture (HPP) on patients with asthma. Three patients with asthma were treated with HPP and the effects assessed using the clinical asthma measurement scale in oriental medicine-V (CAMSOM-V). The five-point Likert scale was used to check satisfaction with HPP. After treatment, the symptoms were improved; CAMSOM-V decreased in all cases. The Likert scale points of the patients were 5, 4, and 4. In this study, we found that HPP should be efficacious in the treatment of asthma.

Keywords: asthma, CAMSOM-V, five-point Likert scale, HPP

Journal of Meridian and Acupoint, Volume 25, No. 4, 73-88, 2008

Effects of Five-Element Constitutional Acupuncture (Sa-am acupuncture) Using Needle Manipulation to Sedate the Six Fu-Organ on Serum Lipid and Liver Function of Rats with Hyperlipidemia Induced by a High Fat Diet

Dae-Hwan Youn, Chang-Su Na, Tae-Jin Choi, Jeong-Young Yun, Yeon-Hee Ryu, Chan-Hun Choi, and Sun-Mi Choi

Abstract The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of five-element constitutional acupuncture (Sa-am acupuncture) on hyperlipidemia induced by a high-fat diet in rats at four acupoints by needle manipulation to sedate the Six Fu-Organ. Data was recorded on weight gain; food intake; food efficiency; liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney weights; and levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, AST, and ALT in the serum of rats fed a high fat diet for 5 weeks. Sprague Dawley rats were divided into eight groups (normal group, normal diet and non-acupuncture; control group, non-acupuncture; Acu-LI group, acupuncture at SI5·LI5·BL66·LI2; Acu-ST group, acupuncture at GB41· ST43·LI1·ST45; Acu-SI group, acupuncture at BL66·SI2·ST36·SI8; Acu-BL group. acupuncture therapy at ST36·BL40· GB41·BL65; Acu-TE group, acupuncture at BL66·TE2·ST36·TE10; and Acu-GB group, acupuncture at LI1·GB44·SI5·GB38. Body weight was decreased in the Acu-SI, Acu-TE, and Acu-GB groups, food intake decreased in the Acu-TE group, food efficiency decreased in the Acu-SI group, serum triglyceride decreased in the Acu-LI, Acu-ST, Acu-BL, and Acu-GB groups, serum total cholesterol decreased in the Acu-LI and Acu-BL groups, and serum ALP decreased in the Acu-LI, Acu-ST, Acu-BL, Acu-TE, and Acu-GB groups. While the relative weight of the heart was increased in the Acu-LI and Acu-SI groups, the relative weight of the kidney was increased in the Acu-SI and Acu-GB groups. These results suggest that five-element constitutional acupuncture (Sa-am acupuncture) may have a therapeutic influence on hyperlipidemia induced by a high-fat diet. Further research on acupuncture manipulation is needed.

Keywords: acupuncture, five element, high fat diet, rats

Journal of Meridian and Acupoint, Volume 25, No. 4, 147-66, 2008

Study of Metabolomics for the Scientific Research in Korean Medicine: a Review

Jee-Youn Jung, Geum-Sook Hwang, and In-Chul Sohn

Abstract This study attempted to identify ways in which metabolomics can be used for scientific research in Korean medicine. Metabolomics can contribute in four ways to the objective classification of Korean medicine: pattern identification, syndrome differentiation, and treatment; applications for personalized medicine; quantification of herbal medicines; and evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Korean medical formulations. Metabolomics represents a new opportunity by providing a means of reinvestigating Korean medicine from a holistic perspective. Furthermore, metabolomics is expected to provide an effective method for conducting research on acupuncture and meridians.

Keywords: metabolomics, scientific study of Korean medicine

Journal of Meridian and Acupoint, Volume 25, No. 4, 175-85, 2008

A Visual Factor of Blinding of the Non-Penetrating Placebo Needle

Jae-Hyun Park, Younbyoung Chae, Hi-Joon Park, and Hyejung Lee

Abstract Acupuncture (from Latin acus, “needle,” and pungere, “to prick”) is a technique of inserting and manipulating fine needles at specific points on the body. As a placebo acupuncture needle device was developed based on the visual impact of needling, it has been suggested that it is useful only when acupuncture points and needling can be seen by the patient. The present study aimed to examine the visual factor of placebo acupuncture by comparing the blinding index of the real and placebo acupuncture between masked and unmasked patients. Thirty-six patients were randomly selected for stimulation by real or placebo acupuncture in a crossover design. They were asked to guess whether they had been stimulated with real or placebo acupuncture at LI4 in an unmasked or masked situation and the penetrating pain, and deqi sensations were also measured after stimulation using a modified visual analog scale. The correct answer rates for the placebo acupuncture were 22.2% and 16.7% in the unmasked and masked situations respectively (P > 0.767). The blinding indices of the placebo acupuncture were −0.56 (95% CI, −0.84 to −0.27) and −0.67 (95% CI, −0.91 to −0.42) in the unmasked and the masked situations respectively. The penetrating and deqi sensations of verum acupuncture were significantly higher than those of placebo acupuncture in both the unmasked and the masked situation. The pain sensation of real acupuncture was significantly higher than that of placebo acupuncture in the masked situation, but not in the unmasked situation. Blinding with placebo acupuncture was successful both in the unmasked and the masked situations. These finding indicated that the visual factor might not play a critical role in blinding of the placebo needle. We suggest that the placebo needle should also be useful in a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan even when the subject cannot see the placebo needle.

Keywords: acupuncture, blinding, placebo, visual factor

Journal of Meridian and Acupoint, Volume 25, No. 4, 187-204, 2008

A Survey on Practitioners' and Patients' Understanding of Acupuncture Treatment During Pregnancy

Li Chang, Youngjoo Sohn, Joonmoo Lee, and Hyangsook Lee

Abstract The objectives of this study were to investigate how Korean medical doctors (KMDs) and pregnant women understand acupuncture treatment during pregnancy, with a focus on safety. A survey was conducted of 163 KMDs and 157 women who were hospitalized in postnatal care clinics after childbirth. The KMDs were asked questions regarding experience in acupuncture treatment for pregnant women, the condition or disease warranting the acupuncture treatment, the intention to give acupuncture treatment to pregnant women and the related reasons, and consideration of acupuncture in treatment for pregnant women. Patients were asked about their experience with acupuncture treatment before and during pregnancy and their willingness to receive acupuncture treatment, if necessary, during future pregnancies. Among the KMDs, 78% had given acupuncture treatment to pregnant women when necessary, mainly for pain; 63% were willing to give acupuncture treatment to pregnant women in consideration of the patient's condition, specific acupuncture points, and stimulation methods. Pregnant women, however, were reluctant to receive acupuncture treatment during pregnancy (58%) in fear of miscarriage or of the needling itself. KMDs' clinical experience, patients' income level, and level of education were not associated with greater use of acupuncture treatment during pregnancy (P > 0.05). While many KMDs are willing to give acupuncture treatment to pregnant women when necessary, the scarce evidence available regarding its safety and effectiveness prevents patients from seeking acupuncture treatment during pregnancy. Thus further research on this issue is urgently needed.

Keywords: acupuncture, pregnancy, safety, survey

Journal of Meridian and Acupoint, Volume 25, No. 4, 205-17, 2008

Study Protocol for Clinical Trials to Compare the Effectiveness of ‘Individualized Acupuncture’ with ‘Standardized Acupuncture’ in Korean Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

Seung-Deok Lee, Jung-Chul Seo, Sang-Hoon Lee, Yong-Suk Kim, Jun-Hyouk Jang, Hi-Joon Park, Sun-Mi Choi, Ji-Eun Park, Leem-Hee Shin, Seo-kyung Hahn, Norihito Takahashi, Eiichi Sumiya, Itoh Kazunori, Toshiyuki Shichidou, and Kenji Kawakita

Abstract One of the characteristics of acupuncture, a popular treatment for musculoskeletal pain, is the plurality of diagnoses and treatments that can profoundly influence the treatment outcome; this multiplicity in treatment modality has to be considered in any research on the effectiveness of acupuncture. Many practitioners stress the need for individualized patient treatment, including acupuncture point selection and manipulation technique. However, the importance of individualization in acupuncture treatment, compared with standardization, has received little attention in clinical trials. The aim of the future study described here is to compare the effectiveness of individualized acupuncture, standardized acupuncture, and no acupuncture in the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis. A total of 195 patients, aged 50 years and over and with knee pain, will be randomly divided into three treatment groups: individualized acupuncture, standardized acupuncture, and waiting list. Outcome data will be collected through patient-completed questionnaires before randomization and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after randomization. The questionnaires will address demographic details, information on pain, movement, and function of the affected knee, general health, and quality of life. This paper presents the details on the rationale, the design, and the methods of the trial.

Keywords: individualized acupuncture, knee osteoarthritis, standardized acupuncture, study protocol, waiting list