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Objectives & Methods: The entire ≪Lingshu·Jingjin≫ content was analyzed to find repetitive patterns, as well as to analyze commonly used terms. Through this, the guidelines for interpretation were presented.Results & Conclusions: ≪Lingshu·Jingjin≫ is not a question-and-answer format, but a simple enumerated narrative format. There is no part corresponding to the introduction, only the descriptions of 12 individual Meridian-muscle exist. Each Meridian-muscle is divided into ‘Flow of Muscle Mechanics(流́走)’ part and ‘Diseases’ part, and ‘Flow of Muscle Mechanics’ of each Meridian-muscle can be divided into ‘Main Flow’ and ‘Branch’. ‘Main Flow’ is the most central ‘Flow’ in each ‘Meridian-muscle’, and ‘Branch’ is the part where ‘Main Flow’ ends and the description of another ‘Flow’ begins. ‘Branch’ has different expressions according to the importance. The expression also varies depending on the dynamics. ‘Meridian-muscle’ should be interpreted based on this.

Objectives: This study was done to establish the anatomical meaning of the term ‘Geun(筋)’.Methods: Through analysis of ≪HwangJeNaeGyeong(黃帝內經)≫, the meaning of ‘Geun(筋)’, ‘GeunMag(筋膜)’, ‘Yug(肉)’, and ‘Gi(肌)’ were established. Based on analysis, the anatomical meaning of the ‘Meridian-muscle(經筋)’ was studied by comparing it with anatomy.Results & Conclusions: ‘Gyeong(經)’ is recognized as a metaphysical expression and "Geun(筋)" means myofascia in anatomy. The concept of ‘Geun(筋)’ includes the epimysium and perimysium, as well as tendons and ligaments, which are extensions of these. ‘Fascia’, refers to the fascia of the whole body, and also appertain to ‘Geun(筋)’. ‘Yug(肉)’ means endomysium, muscle fiber, and adipose tissue and layer. The word ‘GeunMag(筋膜)’ used in the ≪HwangJeNaeGyeong(黃帝內經)≫ means anatomically a ‘tendon’. Therefore, ‘Muscle’ should be translated as ‘GeunYug(筋肉)’ in Traditional medicine. ‘Meridian-muscle(經筋)’ can be defined as the longitudinal muscle and fascia system, which is the basis of whole body encompassing dynamics.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation of the scores on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Ⅰ (STAI-Ⅰ), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Ⅱ (STAI-Ⅱ), Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), and Core Seven Emotions Inventory-short form (CSEI-s) scales with pain improvement. Methods: We retrospectively investigated the medical records of 66 traffic accident inpatients who satisfy the selection criteria. They had received Korean medical treatment including acupuncture, electroacupuncture, pharmacopuncture, herbal medicine, and Chuna during hospitalization. STAI-Ⅱ, BDI, and CSEI-s scores on hospital day 1, and STAI-Ⅰ and numerical rating scale(NRS) scores on hospital day 1, 4, 7, and 10 were used for analysis. Pain improvement was evaluated by difference in NRS scores between hospital day 1 and hospital day 4, 7, 10. Results: The STAI-Ⅰ, BDI, and CSEI-s scores showed significant correlations with pain or pain improvement. Conclusions: This study may be used in the research on psychological state and pain management of traffic accident patients and for patient education. Large-scale, well-designed studies need to be conducted in future to strengthen the results in this regard.

최근 라이브커머스 방송이 급격하게 늘어나면서 다양한 HMR 상품이 판매되고 있다. 생방송으로 진행되는 라이브커머스에서 상품 자체의 경쟁우위 요소도 중요하지만 방송을 이끌어가는 쇼호스트 역시 중요한 요인이다. 그러나 라이브커머스를 대상으로 한 연구도 부족할 뿐 아니라 쇼호스트의 커뮤니케이션과 관련된 연구도 극히 제한적으로 진행되고 있는 실정이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 라이브커머스 방송에서 쇼호스트의 비언어적 커뮤니케이션 요인들이 잠재 소비자의 감정이입과 구매의도에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 분석하고자 하였다. 라이브커머스 방송을 시청한 경험이 있는 응답자 355명을 대상으로 쇼호스트의 비언어적 커뮤니케이션 요소가 미치는 영향을 살펴보면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 잠재 고객의 감정이입에 영향을 미치는 비언어적 커뮤니케이션 요인은 신체행위와 유사언어로 나타났으며, 신체외양 요인은 영향을 미치지 못하는 것으로 분석되었다. 둘째 구매의도에 영향을 미치는 요인은 신체행위와 감정이입으로 분석되었다. 이러한 연구 결과를 바탕으로 저자는 몇 가지 시사점을 제안하였다.

There were 26 Bell’s palsy cases at the Jecheon Hospital of Korean medicine, Semyung University from February 1, 2019, to February 28, 2021 reviewed. One group (A group) was treated with Bamboo salt pharmacopuncture and cervi cornu parvum pharmacopuncture (CC) pharmacopuncture in the paralyzed side of the face, and the other (B group) group was treated with Soyum pharmacopuncture, and hominis placenta (HP) pharmacopuncture. Amid a paucity of studies that have used bamboo salt and CC pharmacopuncture to treat Bell’s palsy, this study aimed to demonstrate possibility of treatment effect on Bell’s palsy. In addition, this study was to see if the effect of determine a change in pharmacopuncture was changed according to the progress of Bell’s palsy symptoms was effective. Bell’s palsy was improved in each group. Altough there were no significant differences in improvement between two groups, Bamboo salt pharmacopuncture and CC pharmacopuncture could be expected to be effective on the paralyzed face. Furthermore, it is effective to switch pharmacopuncture according to the progress of Bell’s palsy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy for the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis. There were 9 databases searched to retrieve randomized controlled trials until August 3, 2019 regarding acupotomy versus conventional Western medicine, conventional Western medicine treatment with and without acupotomy, and Korean medicine treatment with and without acupotomy, and meta-analysis was performed. Of 303 potentially relevant studies retrieved, 43 were systematically reviewed. All studies were conducted in China. Effective rate, visual analogue scale, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index were used as the evaluation scales. The Ashi point was selected most frequently. In all studies, the intervention group was more effective than the control group. Meta-analysis revealed that acupotomy showed statistically significant beneficial results. Although acupotomy had a beneficial effect on knee osteoarthritis, the risk of bias of the included studies was not low. The majority of the results from the evaluation scales used were highly heterogeneous (> 50%) which reduced confidence in the estimation of effect, or had a small sample size. Further clinical research and development is required in the future.

Combined Western-Korean medicine treatments were given to a 67-year-old woman with late onset seizures who underwent surgical drainage of a subdural hematoma. Clonazepam and herbal medicine was prescribed. Acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, chuna, and physical therapy were also performed. The frequency and intensity of seizures was assessed using the Chalfont Seizure Severity Scale. The seizure index score improved from 25 at admission to 0 at discharge. Pain in the right upper extremity reduced from 10 to 0 on the visual analogue scale and muscle strength increased from Grade 3 to 5 in Medical Research Council Scale for the Manual Muscle Test. At the time of hospitalization, the manual muscle strength tests for the affected shoulder, elbow, wrist, and grip strength were 30%, 60%, 10%, 5%, respectively, which improved almost 100% by discharge. Further studies using combined Western-Korean medicine for seizures after strokes are necessary to determine the most effective treatment.

This case study reports the effect of Korean medicine treatments on a 73 year-old female who had a cerebellar infarction. She was hospitalized for 120 days (without visiting Western medicine hospital) where she was treated with acupuncture, herbal decoction, pharmacopuncture, chuna, moxibustion and physiotherapy. Following treatment, her symptoms of dizziness were evaluated using the numeric rating scale and showed pain had reduced (3 to 0). The K-Modified Barthel, showed that life performance had improved (15 to 74), and the Berg balance scale showed an improved balance (2 to 32). Steps per minute and gait posture at stance phase for ataxia also showed improvement. This case report shows that Korean medicine treatment is effective in alleviating dizziness and improved gait instability caused by cerebellar infarction.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the evidence supporting the effectiveness of moxibustion treatment for osteoarthritis. There were 9 databases used to retrieve randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used moxibustion as treatment for osteoarthritis. The quality of methodology for the RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool [Review Manager (RevMan) Version 5.3 Windows, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark]. The inclusion criteria for this review was met by 27 RCTs. All studies were conducted in China. A 4-week moxibustion treatment period was the most common. EX-LE4 and SP10 and GB34 acupoints were most frequently selected in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The most commonly used evaluation index was the visual analog scale (VAS). All studies, including a meta-analysis showed that moxibustion treatments were statistically significantly effective at treating knee osteoarthritis. However, welldesigned randomized RCTs without a high risk of bias should be designed in the future.

Exenatide, a synthetic version of exendin-4, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) used for treating diabetes, but its relatively short half-life is a major disadvantage. In this study, we attempted residue-specific mono-PEGylation to the middle of the amino acid backbone to extend its in vivo half-life. Exenatide was point-mutated from Lys to Cys at the 12th residue to yield a variant (K12C), and PEG-maleimide of varying molecular weights (MW) (5, 10, 20, 40 kD) was site-specifically conjugated to yield a mono-PEGylate with branched T-shape molecular structure. In another approach, we conjugated a bis-maleimide PEG (10 kD) to the middle of two K12Cs to yield an H-shape homodimer PEGylate In vitro bioactivity assays indicated that: (1) PEGylates conjugated with higher MW PEG lead to stronger receptor binding, (2) the branched form was superior to the linear configuration in the binding, and (3) both T-shape and H-shape mono-PEGylates demonstrated better potency than the native exenatide, evidenced by lower EC50. Db/db mouse experiments to evaluate in vivo hypoglycemic activity indicated that: (1) all mono-PEGylates resulted in improved glucose tolerance compared to the native exenatide, (2) the homodimer PEGylate demonstrated much stronger hypoglycemic activity, especially during the initial period, and (3) the H-shape and T-shape mono-PEGylates (40 kD) maintained hypoglycemia for up to ca. 168 and 140 h, representing approximately 12- and 14-fold increase, respectively, compared with the native exenatide. Our findings suggest that the exenatide mono-PEGylates in unclassical molecular structures can improve in vivo pharmacokinetics properties.

A patient with central post-stroke pain was treated for 4 weeks with scalp acupuncture and traditional Korean medicine (following a cerebral infarction in 2013). The patient presented at Chungju hospital in January 2019 with left side weakness and tingling, numbness in the left hemisphere, chronic pain and dysarthria. Initially, herbal medicine, acupuncture, pharmacupunture, indirect moxibustion, and physiotherapy were administered together with Western medicine, with no improvement in the patient’s condition. On Day 5, scalp electroacupuncture (MS1, MS5, MS10, MS11) was introduced. The numbness feeling in the patient’s head resolved, and the pain in his upper body decreased. Grip force difference between the left and right hand improved from 3 kg to 0-0.5 kg. Sleep disturbance was resolved after 4 weeks treatment, and his average numeric rating scale score for pain improved from an admission score of 10, to a discharge score of 5. The patient could walk unaided after treatment.

The purpose of this study was to describe the treatment of the clinical symptoms of syringomyelia using Korean medicine. A patient with syringomyelia complained of back and shoulder pain, numbness of the upper right limb, headaches and dyspnea. He was treated with herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, and physical therapy. The Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to score sensory symptoms (pain, numbness) and Modified Borg scale (mBorg) was used to score dyspnea. After the treatment, his symptoms were relieved. The patient’s chief complaint was back and shoulder pain which was reduced greatly from a VAS score of 6 between 1-2. The results in this study may contribute to the development of the Korean medicine field of syringomyelia in the future.

Background: This study was designed to investigate the potential effects of Galgeungyulpitang for whitening and elasticity treatment by examining its effect on melanoma cells. Methods: The effects of Galgeungyulpitang on B16/F10 melanoma cell viability, production of melanin, tyrosinase and elastase, were investigated. Cell viability was measured by colorimetric assay that assesses cell metabolic activity (MTT assay). Melanin was measured by Hosei’s method, tyrosinase was measured by Yogi’s method and elastase was measured by James’s method. Results: At concentrations higher than 500 μg/mL Galgeungyulpitang, cell viability was significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.05). At concentrations of 500 μg/mL and lower, morphological changes were not observed. The rate of melanin synthesis was significantly reduced to 73.49% ± 2.92% at a concentration of 500 μg/mL Galgeungyulpitang compared with untreated cells (p < 0.05). Extracellular tyrosinase production was not significantly decreased in vitro, however, intracellular tyrosinase production was significantly reduced to 76.06% ± 2.17% when treated with Galgeungyulpitang at a concentration of 500 μg/mL compared with the control (p < 0.05). Elastase Type 1 production was significantly reduced to 74.98% ± 3.24% and 69.62% ± 4.66% at concentrations of 250 and 500 μg/mL Galgeungyulpitang, respectively (p < 0.05). Elastase Type 4 production was significantly reduced to 72.77% ± 3.52% at concentrations of 250 and 500 μg/mL (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results in this study showed that Galgeungyulpitang may inhibit melanin and tyrosinase synthesis, and inhibit elastase production, suggesting that Galgeungyulpitang may be potentially beneficial for skin whitening and loss of skin elasticity treatments.

Additional file 1.

The phage display technique is a combinatorial technology in which random peptides are displayed on the surface of the phage; it is widely used to identify high-affinity peptides that bind to a target protein. However, this technique presents several problems due to non-specific binding of the phages and steric hindrance caused by blocking agents. To overcome these problems, we tested two modified methods and compared their screening performance with that of the conventional method. We used poly-His-tagged human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) as a target protein and silica-coated magnetic particles (MPs) with an immobilized nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid ligand as a solid matrix. Modified method #1 (#M1) included two negative selection steps against a blocking agent (bovine serum albumin) and nude Ni-NTA MPs, after the positive selection step using immobilized HER2 on MPs in the absence of BSA. Modified method #2 (#M2) allowed the binding of phages and HER2 in solution prior to immobilizing HER2 on the MP surface. The negative selection procedure was the same between them. The binding affinity of the phages screened by #M1 and #M2 was evaluated by phage ELISA. Two phages from #M2 (#M2-4 and 5) showed the highest binding, and between them #M2-5 was selected for affinity maturation by inserting a hairpin-structured peptide between the two #M2-5 peptides. SPR study showed the HER2-binding affinity was indeed improved by ca. 2000-fold to become comparable with that of the intact antibody (trastuzumab). The modified biopanning methods combined with the dimerization maturation can be an effective way to develop antibody-mimicking peptides for affinity binding.

Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis is one of the serious complications of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)‐mutant lung cancer, which arises due to poor penetration of the brain–blood barrier by EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs). Although osimertinib, a third‐generation EGFR‐TKI, has efficacy against CNS metastases, further treatment modalities are still needed as some of these lesions do not respond to osimertinib, or undergo progression after an initial response to this drug if radiotherapy has already been conducted. Here, we investigated the efficacy of water‐soluble erlotinib (NUFS‐sErt) against these metastases. This agent was synthesized using a nano‐particulation platform technology utilizing fat and supercritical fluid (NUFS™) to resolve the low solubility problem that typically prevents the creation of injectable forms of EGFR‐TKIs. The average NUFS‐sErt particle size was 236.4 nm, and it showed time‐dependent dissolution in culture media. The effects of NUFS‐sErt were similar to those of conventional erlotinib in terms of inhibiting the proliferation of EGFR‐mutant lung cancer cells and suppressing EGFR signaling. In an intraperitoneal xenograft model of HCC827 cells, intraperitoneal administration of NUFS‐sErt produced a dose‐dependent inhibition of tumor growth and enhanced survival rate. Notably, the injection of NUFS‐sErt into the brain ventricle caused significant tumor growth inhibition in an intracranial xenograft model. Hence, our current findings indicate that NUFS‐sErt is a novel, water‐soluble form of erlotinib that can be administered using intraventricular or intrathecal injections. The target cases would be patients with a progressive CNS metastasis and no other therapeutic options. This drug could also be given intravenously to patients with swallowing difficulties or an inability to ingest due to a medical condition.

Background The objective of this study was to determine the effects of Daegangwhal-Tang (DGHT) hot aqueous extract on production of inflammatory mediators and antioxidants in RAW 264.7 macrophage. Methods DGHT was extracted with water, filtered, concentrated and freeze-dried to perform. Cytotoxicity of DGHT extract was performed by MTT assay. Activated macrophages were treated with varying concentrations of DGHT extract (10, 50, 100 and 200 μg/mL), and nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) concentrations were measured to detect anti-oxidative effects. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) concentrations were also measured to detect inflammatory responses to DGHT Results Cytotoxicity of DGHT extract at concentrations of 10, 50, 100 and 200 μg/mL were not observed. NO production was significantly decreased in the DGHT hot aqueous extract 200 μg/mL concentration group. PGE2, IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α production was significantly decreased in the DGHT hot aqueous extract 100 and 200 μg/mL concentration groups. DGHT hot aqueous extract appeared to have DPPH free radical scavenging capability at all of concentrations, but did not exceed 50%. Conclusions These results suggest that DGHT hot aqueous extract has concentration-dependent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effect.

We examined the relationships between the determinants that affect customers' use of food delivery apps. Using an extended technology acceptance model, we explored consumers' experiences in purchasing delivery food through mobile apps. We distributed a self-administered questionnaire online and used structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses. We found that user-generated information, firm-generated information, and system quality had a significant effect on perceived usefulness. In addition, system quality and design quality strongly influenced the perceived ease of use, which improved perceived usefulness, and in turn, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use affected attitude toward the use of mobile apps. Practical implications for the food service industry are discussed.

Phage display biopanning is a powerful in vitro selection process for screening and identifying peptides that bind to a target protein of interest. With the aim of replacing antibodies in immuno-diagnostic applications, we identified peptides whose binding characteristics mimicked those of anti-human myeloperoxidase (hMPO), a biomarker for acute cardiac diseases. Based on ELISA results from four phage clones, we selected and chemically synthesized a 12-mer peptide (SYIEPPERHRHR). Quartz crystal microbalance and surface plasmon resonance analyses revealed that the molar binding equilibrium ratio of the synthesized peptide was 0.023, approximately 43-fold lower than that of the anti-hMPO antibody. The dissociation constant (Kd) was 57nM, which was comparable to that of the native antibody (83nM). Next, we biotinylated the peptide at its N-terminus and attached the biotinylated peptide to the surface of streptavidin-coated magnetic particles to assess its ability to selectively capture hMPO. The binding equilibrium data were similar to the previous analyses; specifically, around 0.021mol peptide bound to 1mol of hMPO. Antigen capture was found to be selective and to be relatively little influenced by the presence of human serum albumin (HSA), an abundant constituent of serum. Our work demonstrates the potential of immunomagnetic isolation to achieve selective capture of a low-concentration antigen from complex solutions such as serum.

Exenatide (Ex) is a 39-amino acid peptide of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that was approved by the FDA in 2005 as a Type II diabetes treatment. It shows a 53% homology with GLP-1 but has an extended half-life (ca. 2.4 h) relative to GLP-1 (ca. 2–3 min). In this study, to further extend its in vivo half-life, we constructed a fusion protein (Ex-(EBP)10-6xHis) using a biocompatible and inert elastin-based polypeptide (EBP) as a fusion partner. Valine was inserted into the guest position of the pentapeptide (VPGXG), no linker sequence was inserted in between the EBPs, and (EBP)10-6xHis tag was attached to the C-terminus of exenatide. By using a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae expression system, the fusion protein was expressed and secreted to the broth and purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Compared with the native exenatide, the physical half-life of the fusion protein was ca. 3.7-fold extended while approximately 72% of the in-vitro insulin secreting activity was maintained. However, the biological half-life measured by a glucose tolerance test (GTT) and the hypoglycemic test in mice was not significantly different from that of the native form. The effects of EBPylation on bioactivity and half-life of the fusion protein are similar to those of PEGylation. The result suggests that the bioactivity and half-life should be carefully balanced to obtain optimal fusion proteins. We expect that EBPylation using an optimal repeat number of EBP can be an alternative to chemical modification for therapeutic biobetters with extended half-life.

As the lifestyle of people today is evolving, the desire for convenient but nutritious food to replace home-cooked meals is increasing. As the market for Home Meal Replacement (HMR) has already reached 17 hundred billion Won, many studies on HMR selection attributes have been conducted, using traditional Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). However, it was found that traditional IPA had some limitations. Therefore, the study used both traditional and the Revised IPA to examine the selection attributes of HMR sold at large discount store to compare outcomes. The results of the study show that by using the Revised IPA, many attributes differed from those found by the traditional IPA. Consequently, the study revealed aspects that have both linear and nonlinear relationships with customer satisfaction. Implications of this study could provide the foundation of business strategies for HMR manufacturers.

Epoxy resin has been required to have a low dielectric constant (D(k)), low dissipation factor (Df), low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), low water absorption, high mechanical, and high adhesion properties for various applications. A series of novel phenolic isocyanate-modified bisphenol-based epoxy resins comprising benzoate group were prepared for practical electronic packaging applications. The developed epoxy resins showed highly reduced dielectric constants (D(k)-3.00 at 1 GHz) and low dissipation values (Df-0.014 at 1 GHz) as well as enhanced thermal properties.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the features affecting user satisfaction and net benefits of a mobile learning management system (LMS) for cyber university students working in the hospitality industry using the quality factors from the updated DeLone and McLean information system success model. Also, the study focuses on finding whether there is a difference in the perception of the cyber university&rsquo, s mobile LMS depending on self-directed learning (SDL). A series of theory-based hypotheses were examined through structural equation modelling using empirical data collected from a sample of 328 students in cyber universities in Korea. The results indicate that information quality, system quality, and service quality have a positive effect on user satisfaction, and the subsequent user satisfaction has a positive effect on net benefits. The multi-group analysis revealed that all the paths were significant for high SDL groups, whereas for low SDL groups, a path between information quality and user satisfaction was not statistically supported. These results suggest that a differentiated strategy based on SDL level is needed to improve user satisfaction and the net benefit of the mobile LMS. The results are expected to provide implications for the stable operation of mobile LMSs for cyber universities.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is the causative agent of enzootic bovine leukosis. This study was conducted to clarify the molecular characteristics of BLVs obtained from a specific region in Korea. Proviral BLVs were detected in anti-BLV antibody-positive blood samples by PCR. Env and gag fragments were sequenced and compared to previously published reference sequences. Analysis of the env gene sequence revealed that the YI strain was highly similar to genotype 1, including United States and Japanese strains. The gag gene sequence had the highest degree of similarity with a Japanese strain.

SPIRIT Checklist. (DOCX 367 kb)

Objectives: This study was performed to estimate the effectiveness of burning acupuncture therapy (Hwa chim) and sweet bee venom pharmacopuncture (S-BV pharmacopuncture) in treating lateral epicondylitis of elbow. Methods: We selected 33 patients at first, but 13 patients were excluded due to unclear medical records. Finally, a total of 20 patients who had received treatment from January 2012 to December 2013 were included in this study; all 20 patients had undergone Hwachim for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis of elbow, and 19 of the 20 had been treated with S-BV pharmacopuncture (Korea Pharmacopuncture Institute, KPI) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as an ancillary treatment method. The degrees of pain of the 20 patients were evaluated by using the visual analogue scale (VAS) score at their first and final visits. The Wilcoxon signed rank test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare the VAS scores statistically. Results: The VAS score had decreased significantly from 10.00 ± 0.00 to 4.00 ± 2.47 (P = 0.000) by the end of the treatment. No significant changes were observed based on the number of treatments (P = 0.246), the age of the patients (P = 0.810), the duration of the illness (P = 0.705), and the location of the lesion (P = 0.076). Conclusion: This study suggests Hwachim and S-BV pharmacopuncture are very effective for treating later al epicondylitis of the elbow.

Objectives : The objective of this study is to analyze the single-dose toxicity of horse placenta hydrolysate extracts. Methods : Sprague-Dawley rats were chosen for the study. Doses of horse placenta hydrolysate extracts, 2,000 mg/kg, 1,000 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg, were administered to the experimental group, and the same doses of normal saline solution were administered to the control group. This study was conducted under the approval of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee. Results : In all 4 groups, no deaths occurred, and the horse placenta hydrolysate extracts administered by oral was over 2,000 mg/kg. No significant changes in the weight between the control group and the experimental group were observed. To check for abnormalities in organs and tissues, we used microscopy to examine representative histological sections of each specified organ, the results showed no significant differences in any organs or tissues. Conclusions : The above findings suggest that treatment with horse placenta hydrolysate extracts is relatively safe. Further studies on this subject should be conducted to yield more concrete evidence.

Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes. In patients with PDN, greater pain intensity leads to poorer quality of life, sleep, function, and work productivity (1–3). According to the clinical practice guideline, electrical stimulation is probably effective and should be considered for the treatment of PDN (evidence level B) (4). The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) for the management of PDN in patients with type 2 diabetes. This multicenter, randomized, assessor-blinded, controlled trial was conducted between June 2014 and March 2016 at four centers in South Korea (clinical trial reg. no. KCT0001135, https://cris.nih.go.kr). A total of 126 participants with a ≥6-month history of PDN and a mean weekly pain score of ≥4 on the Pain Intensity Numerical Rating Scale (PI-NRS) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an EA group ( n = 63) or control group ( n = 63). Randomization was performed by using a computer-generated random code, and allocation concealment was achieved using sequentially numbered, opaque sealed envelopes. The participants in the EA group received EA treatment with a mixed current of 2 Hz/120 Hz at 12 acupuncture points (bilateral Zusanli [ST36], Xuanzhong [GB39], Yinlingquan [SP9], Sanyinjiao [SP6], Taichong …