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The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include re-experiencing trauma, avoidance behaviors, negative alterations in cognition and mood. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Dysfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) and dysregulation of glutamatergic and GABAergic systems were shown during PTSD. Therefore, regulating hormonal change or glutamate energy metabolism are considered as a therapeutic approach to alleviate this condition. Herbal medicine may be effective in treating PTSD due to its ability to target multiple underlying mechanisms with various compounds. Hominis placenta (HP) is a traditional medicine widely used in East Asia for various conditions. However, the effect on PTSD has not been clarified. We aimed to investigate the effects of HP treatment in single-prolonged stress with shock (SPSS)-induced PTSD mice and explore its possible mechanisms. HP treatment at ST36 acupoints, combined with herbal medicine and acupuncture point stimulation, was applied three times/week for 2 weeks. HP treatment effectively alleviated anxiety and cognitive decline in SPSS-induced PTSD mice, as detected by Open field and the Y-maze test. Additionally, HP decreased the corticosterone levels and proinflammatory cytokines in the serum, modulated brain energy metabolism, and inhibited glutamate excitotoxicity, while regulating neuronal activity through modulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, as demonstrated by western blot and immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry analyses. These findings reveal that HP treatment effectively alleviates PTSD-like behaviors by regulating energy metabolism and neuronal activity though modulation of the HPA-axis and BDNF levels in PTSD mice, indicating that HP treatment is a promising therapeutic approach for PTSD.

Background: Hominis placental (HPP) extract has been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea for treating chronic liver diseases and postmenopausal syndrome. However, its efficacy and safety for treating chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) remains unclear. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of HPP for treating chronic TMD compared with physical therapy (PT). Methods: This study is a 2-arm parallel, multi-center, randomized controlled trial. We enrolled 82 chronic TMD patients from 2 Korean medicine hospitals between December 2019 and January 2021. We included patients with chronic TMD and randomly assigned them to undergo HPP or PT. The primary outcome was the difference in the scores for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain at baseline and week 6. The secondary outcomes were the scores for TMJ pain and bothersomeness, TMJ range of motion, the Korean version of Beck's depression index-Ⅱ, jaw functional limitation scale (JFLS) score, patient global impression of change (PGIC) scores, EuroQoL 5-dimension 5-level score, and short form-12 health survey (SF-12) scores. Results: Compared with PT, HPP showed significantly superior effects on TMJ pain and bothersomeness, protrusive movement pain, JFLS (verbal, emotional, and global), SF-12, and PGIC scores at week 6 (P < 0.05). Compared with the PT group, the HPP group showed a significantly higher recovery rate (≥50 % reduction in the scores for TMJ pain at the 24-week follow-up). Conclusion: HPP was more effective than PT managing pain and improving function and quality of life. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of HPP for TMD treatment. Trial registration: This study has been registered at clinicalTrials.gov (NCT04087005), Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) (KCT0004437), and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (No. 31886).

The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include re-experiencing trauma, avoidance behaviors, negative alterations in cognition and mood. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Dysfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) and dysregulation of glutamatergic and GABAergic systems were shown during PTSD. Therefore, regulating hormonal change or glutamate energy metabolism are considered as a therapeutic approach to alleviate this condition. Herbal medicine may be effective in treating PTSD due to its ability to target multiple underlying mechanisms with various compounds. Hominis placenta (HP) is a traditional medicine widely used in East Asia for various conditions. However, the effect on PTSD has not been clarified. We aimed to investigate the effects of HP treatment in single-prolonged stress with shock (SPSS)-induced PTSD mice and explore its possible mechanisms. HP treatment at ST36 acupoints, combined with herbal medicine and acupuncture point stimulation, was applied three times/week for 2 weeks. HP treatment effectively alleviated anxiety and cognitive decline in SPSS-induced PTSD mice, as detected by Open field and the Y-maze test. Additionally, HP decreased the corticosterone levels and proinflammatory cytokines in the serum, modulated brain energy metabolism, and inhibited glutamate excitotoxicity, while regulating neuronal activity through modulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, as demonstrated by western blot and immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry analyses. These findings reveal that HP treatment effectively alleviates PTSD-like behaviors by regulating energy metabolism and neuronal activity though modulation of the HPA-axis and BDNF levels in PTSD mice, indicating that HP treatment is a promising therapeutic approach for PTSD. [Display omitted] • HP alleviates anxiety and cognitive decline in the SPSS-induced PTSD mice. • HP regulates HPA-axis and energy metabolism in SPSS-induced PTSD mice. • HP modulates neuronal activity and glutamate transmission in SPSS-induced PTSD mice. • HP has therapeutic potential for PTSD like behaviors through modulation of BDNF in the PTSD mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture is widely used for climacteric symptoms. This study examined the efficacy and safety of pharmacopuncture with PLC (the extract of Hominis placenta) on hot flashes for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Methods: This study was a randomized placebo-controlled single-blind trial, which recruited 128 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, randomly assigned to receive pharmacopuncture with PLC or normal saline (NS) for eight weeks. The primary outcome was the mean changes in the hot flash score (HFS) and the secondary outcomes were the mean changes in the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, and estradiol (E2) levels from baseline to eight weeks. Missing values were imputed using the last-observation-carried-forward method. Results: After treatment (week 9), the HFS decreased significantly in both groups (p = 0.000). The residual HFS was 47.09 ± 41.39% and 56.45 ± 44.92 % in the PLC and control groups, respectively (p = 0.262). One month after the treatment (week 13), the score of the PLC group was reduced, but the score increased in the control group (p = 0.077). There were no statistically significant differences in the mean changes in MRS, FSH, and E2 between the two groups. No serious adverse events related to this trial were noted. Conclusion: In this study, Hominis placenta extract pharmacopuncture did not differ significantly from NS in reducing the hot flash score. While this therapy appears safe, the potential for long-term effect of PLC extract needs to be examined in a large randomized controlled trial with appropriate controls. Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service, Republic of Korea, KCT0 0 03533.

Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture, a treatment that injects Hominis placenta extract into acupoints, has been suggested in the literature and researches that it could be used for cognitive decline. We experienced a case of mild neurocognitive disorder treated with Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture. Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture could be a possible treatment modality producing substantial clinical result in cognitive function which is assessed with Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS), Korean Version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K), and Korean-Dementia Rating Scale (K-DRS). A 84-yearold man with mild neurocognitive disorder received Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture on GV20, CV12, and bilateral ST36 for a month. The results of neuropsychological examination showed increase in scores after treatment of Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture. Before treatment, they were 15 points for MoCA-K, and 120 points for K-DRS (7.6%), but after treatment, they elevated by 21 points for MoCA-K and 137 points for K-DRS (100%). MMSE-DS score was 28 points, unchanged before and after treatment. It did not cause any side-effect. Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture could be a safe option for treating mild neurocognitive disorder.

Background: Hominis placental (HPP) extract has been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea for treating chronic liver diseases and postmenopausal syndrome. However, its efficacy and safety for treating chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) remains unclear. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of HPP for treating chronic TMD compared with physical therapy (PT)., Methods: This study is a 2-arm parallel, multi-center, randomized controlled trial. We enrolled 82 chronic TMD patients from 2 Korean medicine hospitals between December 2019 and January 2021. We included patients with chronic TMD and randomly assigned them to undergo HPP or PT. The primary outcome was the difference in the scores for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain at baseline and week 6. The secondary outcomes were the scores for TMJ pain and bothersomeness, TMJ range of motion, the Korean version of Beck's depression index-Ⅱ, jaw functional limitation scale (JFLS) score, patient global impression of change (PGIC) scores, EuroQoL 5-dimension 5-level score, and short form-12 health survey (SF-12) scores., Results: Compared with PT, HPP showed significantly superior effects on TMJ pain and bothersomeness, protrusive movement pain, JFLS (verbal, emotional, and global), SF-12, and PGIC scores at week 6 ( P < 0.05). Compared with the PT group, the HPP group showed a significantly higher recovery rate (≥50 % reduction in the scores for TMJ pain at the 24-week follow-up)., Conclusion: HPP was more effective than PT managing pain and improving function and quality of life. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of HPP for TMD treatment., Trial Registration: This study has been registered at clinicalTrials.gov (NCT04087005), Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS) (KCT0004437), and Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (No. 31886)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Abstract Background Hot flashes are the most frequent symptoms of the menopause, with 10–20% of all postmenopausal women reporting nearly intolerable occurrences. Although pharmacopuncture with hominis placenta extract is one of the new acupuncture therapies popular in East Asian medicine with a known efficacy in treating facial flushing, there has been little research on the efficacy and safety of this extract. This study, therefore, aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pharmacopuncture with hominis placenta extract (PLC) compared to injections of normal saline, in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in Korea. Methods/design This study is a randomized placebo-controlled single-blind multi-center parallel-design trial. In total, 128 perimenopausal or postmenopausal women who meet the inclusion criteria will be recruited. The treatment group will receive PLC pharmacopuncture twice a week, for a total of 18 sessions over 9 weeks. The control group will receive injections of normal saline at the same acupoints during the same period. The post-treatment follow-up assessment will occur 4 weeks after the participant has completed the treatment. Discussion We believe that this trial will provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of PLC pharmacopuncture as a treatment for hot flashes in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Trial registration Clinical Research Information Service (CRIS), Republic of Korea, ID: KCT0003533, Registered on 20 February 2019.

Background Hominis placenta (HP) is used in Korean medicine to tonify qi and blood, and enrich yin and tonify yang. HP has been reported to have therapeutic effects. Methods A survey of international and Korean electronic databases was conducted using the search terms “hominis placenta pharmacopuncture” and “hominis placenta extract”. The search was limited to material published up to May 31, 2017. Results A total of 83 studies were included in this systematic review: 50 were clinical studies, 25 were basic studies, and 8 were other types of study. Among clinical studies, the most frequently treated disease groups were musculoskeletal diseases and nervous system diseases. In vitro studies were conducted mainly on anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-cell necrosis models. Most of the in vivo studies were performed in rheumatoid arthritis or diabetic complications models. Conclusions HP pharmacopuncture has effects in the treatment of various diseases. Further large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to improve the level of evidence for HP pharmacopuncture. It would be helpful if future in vitro and in vivo studies could identify the mechanism of action of HP pharmacopuncture.

Objectives: This study was performed to analyze the toxicity and to find the lethal dose of the test substance Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture when used as a single-dose in 6 week old, male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Methods: All experiments were conducted at Biotoxtech (Chungwon, Korea), an institution authorized to perform non clinical studies, under the regulations of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). SD rats were chosen for the pilot study. Doses of Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture extracts, 0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 mL, were administered to the experimental group, and 0.5 mL 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: No deaths or abnormalities occurred in any of the groups. Also, no significant changes in body weights were observed among the groups, and no significant differences in hematology/biochemistry, necropsy, and histopathology results were noted. Hematologically, some changes in the male rats in two experimental groups were observed, but those changes had no clinical or toxicological meaning because they were not dose dependent. Histopathological tests on the injected parts showed cell infiltration in the male rats in one of the experimental groups; however, that result was due to spontaneous generation and had no toxicological meaning. Therefore, this study showed that Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture had no effect on the injected parts in terms of clinical signs, body weight, hematology, clinical chemistry, and necropsy. Conclusion: As a result of single-dose tests of the test substance Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture in 4 groups of rats, the lethal dose for both males and females exceeded 0.5 mL/animal. Therefore, the above findings suggest that treatment with Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture is relatively safe. Further studies on this subject are needed.

Hominis placenta (HP), a dried human placenta, has been known to target liver, lung, or kidney meridians, improving the functions associated with these meridians in traditional Chinese or Asian medicine (TCM). Since recent studies implicate an HP extract in suppressing inflammation, we investigated whether an aqueous HP extract can ameliorate inflammation that occurred in the lungs. When administered with a single intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (LPS), C57BL/6 mice developed an acute neutrophilic lung inflammation along with an increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes. However, this was diminished by the administration HP extract via an intraperitoneal route 2 h after LPS treatment. Western blot and semi-quantitative RT-PCR analyses revealed that while suppressing the activity of a proinflammatory factor NF-κB marginally, the HP extract strongly activated an anti-inflammatory factor Nrf2, with concomitant expression of Nrf2-dependent genes. Mechanistically, the HP extract suppressed the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of Nrf2, functioning similarly to a 26S proteasome inhibitor, MG132. Collectively, these results suggest that the HP extract suppresses inflammation in mouse lungs, which is in part related to the HP extract perturbing the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of Nrf2 and thus increasing the function of Nrf2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine whether Hominis Placental pharmacopuncture solution (HPPS) combined with zinc-oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NP) activates RAW 264.7 cells. Methods: We soaked ZnO nanoparticles in the Hominis Placenta pharmacopuncture solution, thereby making a combined form (ZnO NP HPPS). The effect of ZnO NP HPPS on the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was measured by 2’, 7’-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay. The effect of ZnO NP HPPS on NF-κ B was measured by using a luciferase assay. The effect of ZnO NP HPPS on the cytokine expression was assessed by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The cellular uptake of ZnO NP HPPS was measured by using a flow cytometric analysis, and cellular structural alterations were analyzed by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results: Neither the HPPS nor the ZnO NPs induced intracellular ROS production in RAW 264.7 cells. Neither of the materials activated NF-κ B or it’s dependent genes, such as TNF-α, IL-1, and MCP-1. However, ZnO NP HPPS, the combined form of ZnO NPs and HPPS, did induce the intracellular ROS production, as well as prominently activating NF-κ B and it’s dependent genes. Also, compared to ZnO NPs, it effectively increa-sed the uptake by RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, cellular structural alterations were observed in groups treated with ZnO NP HPPS. Conclusions: Neither ZnO NP nor HPPS activated RAW 264.7 cells, which is likely due to a low cellular uptake. The ZnO NP HPPS, however, significantly activated NF-κ B and up-regulated its dependent genes such as TNF-α, IL-1, and MCP-1. ZnO NP HPPS was also more easily taken into the RAW 264.7 cells than either ZnO NP or HPPS.

Objective : Oculomotor nerve palsy is a disorder which causes eyeball movement trouble, diplopia, dizziness and eyelid ptosis. It is caused by aneurysm, mass, trauma, infection and so on. But sometimes we can't establish the cause. We observed 3 cases of idiopathic oculomotor nerve palsy patient treated with hominis placenta pharmacopuncture. Method & Result : We treated three idiopathic oculomotor nerve palsy patients with hominis placenta pharmacopuncture and electroacupuncture. As the result, symptoms of three patients were improved remarkably. Conclusion : In this cases, the hominis placenta pharmacopuncture is effective on idiopathic oculomotor nerve palsy. We need further study about idiopathic oculomotor nerve palsy and hominis placenta pharmacopuncture.

Background: Hominis Placenta (HP) known as a restorative medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been widely applied in the clinics of Korea and China as an anti-aging agent to enhance the regeneration of tissue. This study was conducted to investigate whether topical treatment of HP promotes hair regrowth in the animal model. Methods: The dorsal hairs of 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice were depilated to synchronize hair follicles to the anagen phase. HP was applied topically once a day for 15 days. Hair growth was evaluated visually and microscopically. The incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), fibroblast growth factor-7 (FGF-7) in dorsal skin tissue was examined by immunohistochemical analysis. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure the mRNA expression of FGF-7. Results: HP exhibited potent hair growth-promoting activity in C57BL/6 mice. Gross examination indicated that HP markedly increased hair regrowth as well as hair density and diameter. Histologic analysis showed that HP treatment enhanced the anagen induction of hair follicles. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that BrdU incorporation and the expressions of PCNA were increased by treatment of HP. HP treatment significantly increased the expression of FGF-7, which plays pivotal roles to maintain anagen phase both protein and mRNA levels. Conclusions: Taken together, our results indicate that HP has a potent hair growth-promoting activity; therefore, it may be a good candidate for the treatment of alopecia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : This research was carried out for the development of medicine for vitiligo treatment and focused on the effect of Hominis Placenta extract on Melanin synthesis of B16 melanoma cells. Methods : Acitivity of tyrosinase playing a vital role in synthesis of Melanin and the quantity of Melanin, which is the final product in cultured B16 melanoma cells, effects of Hominis Placenta extract were measured. Results : The results indicated that Hominis Placenta extract increased both the amount of Melanin and the activity of tyrosinase according to the concentration, and they also supported by western blot analysis. Conclusion : The results suggests that Hominis Placenta extract has an advantageous effect on the promotion of Melanin synthesis and will contribute to the development of vitiligo treatment through further related studies.

Objectives : This study has been designed and performed to identify the effect on Bell's palsy according to the injection of herbal medicine induced from the Hominis Placenta. Methods : We measured the facial palsy changes of the patients who were admitted for Bell's palsy in the Oriental Medical hospital of Dongeui medical center from 03-01-2004 to 07-31-2004. Bell's palsy patients were divided into two groups. One group(A group) was injected with Hominis Placenta herbal acupuncture. The other group(B group) was injected with normal saline. Then effects of these treatment was evaluated by Yanagihara's unweighted grading system. Results : A group was marked more higher than B group in treatment outcome. we discovered that it is significant differences between two groups after 4 week. Conclusions : These results provided that A group is more effective than B group. For clearly proving the effect of Hominis Placenta herbal acupuncture on Bell's palsy, it is need more sample's number and more treatment's duration.

Objective : This study has been designed and performed to identify the effects of Hominis Placenta herbal acupuncture which is usually used in reducing sleep pattern disturbances. Methods : The study subjects studied included 48 patients who were admitted in hospital located in Pusan, and they were classified into 2 groups : 25 patients in the experimental group who injected Hominis Placenta herbal acupuncture and 23 patients in the control group who were treated by acupuncture. The both group injected on GB20, GB12 and HT7 for 5 days without medicine. The sleep pattern disturbance score was measured by using 15 questions according to Korean Sleep Scale A(Oh, Jin Joo. Song, Mi Soon. Kim, Shin Mi. 1998). Results & conclusions : The sleep pattern disturbance score of the experimental group who injected Hominis Placenta herbal acupuncture was significantly lower than that of the control group. (t= 7.00 p= .00) These results provided that Hominis Placenta herbal acupuncture of GB20, GB12 and HT7 was effective for relieving sleep pattern disturbances, it is need more sample's number and more treatmentt's duration.

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of Hominis Placenta Herbal Acupuncture (HPA) combined with Acupuncture compared with Acupuncture therapy. Method : Data was collected from October 1st 2004 to February 28th 2005. A total of 8 women participated in this study. Of all subjects, 4 and 4 subjects were assigned to the experimental and the control group respectively. Subjects were treated three times a week. We used Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for evaluating the effects of HPA. Result : There showed statistically boardline significance between the experimental group and control group (p=0.057). Conclusion : The results showed HPA has significant effects on menstrual cramps.

Nowadays Asthma is considered to be an inflamatory disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and pulmonary eosinophilia. Hominis Placenta is the dried placenta of a healthy women. It has correspondence to the meridians of lung and kindey. Hominis Placenta acupuncture therapy has effect on invigoration of vital energy nourishing blood and tonifying the essence. It can be applied to the disease as Asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, degenerative change and cerebrovascular disease. We treated two patients of Asthma with CVA by Homins Placenta Aqua-Acupuncture. The effect of Homins Placenta Aqua-Acupuncture was assessed by analyzing the pulmonary function test(PFT) and Quality of Life Questionnaire for adult Korean Asthmatics(QLQAKA) in patients before and after treatment. Total score was increased. The patients are satisfied our treatment. But further research concerning this is still necessary.

Coughing and sputum are symptoms of sequela of Pneumonia. Oriental medicine call it Hae su. Hae su is common sign of lung disease. Hominis Placenta is the dried placenta of a healthy women. The nature of Hominis Placenta is warm and its taste sweet-salty. It has correspondence to the meridians of lung and kindey. Hominis Placenta acupuncture therapy has effect on invigoration of vital energy nourishing blood and tonifying the essence. It can be applied to the disease as Asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, degenerative change and cerebrovascular disease. We treated two cases coughing and sputum sign Sequela of Pneumonia by Hominis Placenta Aqua-Acupuncture. The symptoms was improved and the patients satisfied

Objective : This study was carried out to investigate the progress of bilateral simultaneous facial palsy and the effect of Hominis Placenta herbal-acupunture and the other oriental medical therapies. Methods : We used two methods to research the progress of disease. 1. Diagnosis - Facial muscle test, Taste test, Hearing test, Photographies, Lab-finding 2. Treatment - Acupuncture, Herbal-acupuncture, Electroacupuncture, Herb-med Results : The onset of Rt. facial palsy was earlier than Lt. facial palsy 3days. The reaction on the treatment of Rt. facial palsy was more dull than Lt. facial palsy. In terms of treatment period, Rt. facial palsy was very longer than Lt. facial palsy. Conclusion : According to the above results, we discoveried that Hominis Placenta herbal-acupunture and the other oriental medical therapies had good influence on the bilateral simultaneous facial palsy. In the future, we should endeavor to know influence between Rt. and Lt. face in case of bilateral simultaneous Bell's palsy.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease, characterized by leukocyte infiltration, a chronic inflammation of the joint, a pannus formation and the extensive destruction of the articular cartilage and bone. Several proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) have been implicated in the pathological mechanisms of synovial tissue proliferation, joint destruction and programmed cell death in rheumatoid joint. In the Korean traditional medicine, Hominis placenta (HP) as an herbal solution of herb-acupuncture has been widely used to treat the inflammatory diseases including RA. In order to study the medicinal effect of HP herb-acupuncture on rheumatoid joint, an adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) was generated by the injection of 1.5 mg of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, emulsified in squalene, to the base of the tail of Spraque-Dawley (SD) rats. After onset stage of polyarthritis, HP was daily injected to the Zusanli (ST36) acupuncture points in both of rat lags and the expression patterns of cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 at the knee joint were analyzed using immunostaining and RT-PCR. The HP herb-acupuncture was found to be effective to alleviate the arthritic symptoms in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats as regards the joint appearance and the expression profiles of inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, therapeutic effects of HP herb-acupuncture on the rat with AIA might be related to anti-inflammatory activities of the hurb-acupuncture.

Background: Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture is widely used for climacteric symptoms. This study examined the efficacy and safety of pharmacopuncture with PLC (the extract of Hominis placenta ) on hot flashes for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women., Methods: This study was a randomized placebo-controlled single-blind trial, which recruited 128 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, randomly assigned to receive pharmacopuncture with PLC or normal saline (NS) for eight weeks. The primary outcome was the mean changes in the hot flash score (HFS) and the secondary outcomes were the mean changes in the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, and estradiol (E 2 ) levels from baseline to eight weeks. Missing values were imputed using the last-observation-carried-forward method., Results: After treatment (week 9), the HFS decreased significantly in both groups ( p  = 0.000). The residual HFS was 47.09 ± 41.39% and 56.45 ± 44.92 % in the PLC and control groups, respectively ( p  = 0.262). One month after the treatment (week 13), the score of the PLC group was reduced, but the score increased in the control group ( p  = 0.077). There were no statistically significant differences in the mean changes in MRS, FSH, and E 2 between the two groups. No serious adverse events related to this trial were noted., Conclusion: In this study, Hominis placenta extract pharmacopuncture did not differ significantly from NS in reducing the hot flash score. While this therapy appears safe, the potential for long-term effect of PLC extract needs to be examined in a large randomized controlled trial with appropriate controls., (© 2022 Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Aim: Extract of Hominis Placenta (HP) has been used in oriental medicine as an agent for improving physiological function. The present study was conducted to investigate whether HP treatment in an experimental sciatic nerve injury animal model produces growth-promoting effects on regenerating peripheral nerve fibers after injury. Methods: After HP was injected into a sciatic nerve injury site, changes in protein levels were analyzed in the regenerating nerve area by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining analyses. For quantitative assessment of axonal regeneration, a retrograde tracing technique was used to identify the neuronal cell bodies corresponding to regenerating axons, and the extent of neurite outgrowth in cultured dorsal root ganglia (DRG) sensory neurons prepared from animals that had experienced a sciatic nerve crush injury 7 d before neuron collection was analyzed. Results: Induction levels of axonal growth-associated protein (GAP-43) in the injured sciatic nerves were elevated by HP treatment. HP treatment also upregulated cell division cycle 2 (Cdc2) protein levels in the distal stump of the injured sciatic nerve. Induced Cdc2 protein was detected in Schwann cells, suggesting that Cdc2 kinase activity maybe involved in the growth-promoting activity of regenerating axons via Schwann cell proliferation. Cell body measurement by retrograde tracing indicated that HP treatment produced significant increases in regenerating motor axons. Finally, HP treatment of cultured DRG sensory neurons significantly increased neurite arborization and elongation. Conclusion: HP promotes the regeneration of injured sciatic axons by upregulating the synthesis of regeneration-related protein factors such as GAP-43 and Cdc2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The anti-thrombic properties of the Korean herbal medicine, Dae-Jo-Hwan (DJW) were investigated. Water extracts, a 70% methanol (MeOH) extract and an ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction (III) from DJW inhibited platelet-activating factor (PAF)-induced platelet aggregation in vitro and in vivo assays. The extracts of DJW and eleven herbs from which it is derived, except for Panax ginseng Meyer, Angelica sinensis (OLIV.) DIELS and Schisandra chinensis Baill., inhibited AA-induced blood platelet aggregation to various extents. The effects observed with total DJW was synergistic over-additive rather that additive since the sum of single contributions was lower than the effect of the total extract. Fraction III was specially protected against the lethality of PAF, while verapamil did not afford any protection. Exogenously applied arachidonic acid (AA) (100μM) led to a 89% platelet aggregation, the release of 14pmol of ATP, and the formation of either 225pg of thromboxane A2 (TXA2) or 45pg of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), each parameter being related to 106 platelets. An application of DJW 5min before AA, dose-dependently diminished aggregation, ATP-re lease, and the synthesis of TXA2 and PGE2, with IC50 values of 70, 87, 65 and 72μg/ml, respectively. The similarity of the IC50 values suggests the inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) by DJW as the primary target, thus suppressing the generation of TXA2, which induces platelet aggregation and the exocytosis of ATP by its binding on TXA2-receptors. These results indicate that DJW shows anti-thrombotic action on human platelets and inhibits the action of PAF in vivo by an antagonistic effect on PAF. Therefore, it may be useful in treating disorders caused by PAF. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The anti-thrombic properties of the Korean herbal medicine, Dae-Jo-Hwan (DJW), which is consisted of 11 herbs (indicated as concentrations) of Rehmanniae radix 24%, Hominis placenta 5%, Testudinis carapax 9%, Eucommiae cortex 9%, Asparagi radix 9%, Phellodendri cortex 9%, Achyranthis radix 7%, Liriopis tuber 7%, Angelicae sinensis radix 7%, Ginseng radix 6%, and Schizandrae fructus 3%, were investigated. The extracts of DJW and its 11 herbs, except G. radix, A. sinensis radix and S. Fructus, inhibited the endotoxin-induced hepatic venous thrombosis in high cholesterol diet-treated rats. Also the extract inhibited the endotoxin-induced decrease in blood platelets and fibrinogen, and endotoxin-induced increase in fibrin degradation products (FDP) on disseminated intravascular coagulation in normal rats. In in vitro experiments, the extract was shown to have inhibitory effect on collagen- and ADP-induced blood platelet aggregation, on thrombin-induced conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin and on the activity of plasminogen or plasmin. In conclusion, the protection of extracts of Korean herbs on the ischemic infarction induced artificially might be related to their inhibitory effects on DIC, platelet coagulation and thrombic action. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: Fufang Biejia Ruangan Tablet (FBRT) is widely used for the treatment of liver fibrosis. However, Hominis Placenta (HP), as an important adjuvant of FBRT, has been restricted for medicinal using due to the limited availability, ethical controversy and safety issues. The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of novel FBRT (N-FBRT) with sheep placenta (SP) as substitute for HP on liver fibrosis and explore its possible mechanisms. Different dosages of SP in N-FBRT were also evaluated., Methods: Rats were subcutaneously injected with CCl 4 to induce liver fibrosis and then treated with N-FBRT and FBRT. The anti-hepatic fibrosis effect was determined based on biomarkers analysis of liver function and hepatic fibrosis, and the liver pathology was visualized by H&E staining and Masson staining. The oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines were also detected. Immunohistochemical staining of α-SMA, real time PCR and Western blotting were performed to evaluate hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway., Results: N-FBRT and FBRT could ameliorate CCl 4 -induced liver fibrosis and improve liver function, as evidenced by lowering serum biomarkers levels of liver function and hepatic fibrosis, and decreasing hepatic Hyp content and collagen deposition, and improving the hepatic morphology and architecture changes. Moreover, the anti-liver fibrosis effect was better when the dosage of SP used in N-FBRT was 1/2 of HP in FBRT. Administration of N-FBRT markedly alleviated oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines, and inhibited α-SMA expression. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of Col I , Col III , α-SMA and TGF-β1 , and proteins expression of α-SMA, TGF-β1, Smad2/3 and p-Smad2/3 were significantly down-regulated by N-FBRT treatment., Conclusion: SP can be used as substitute for HP to prepare N-FBRT for the treatment of liver fibrosis and the anti-liver fibrosis effect of N-FBRT is achieved by eliminating oxidative stress and inflammation, and inhibiting HSCs activation and ECM production by blocking TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Tianjin Press of Chinese Herbal Medicines. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.)

Background: Hominis Placenta (HP) known as a restorative medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been widely applied in the clinics of Korea and China as an anti-aging agent to enhance the regeneration of tissue. This study was conducted to investigate whether topical treatment of HP promotes hair regrowth in the animal model., Methods: The dorsal hairs of 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice were depilated to synchronize hair follicles to the anagen phase. HP was applied topically once a day for 15 days. Hair growth was evaluated visually and microscopically. The incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), fibroblast growth factor-7 (FGF-7) in dorsal skin tissue was examined by immunohistochemical analysis. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure the mRNA expression of FGF-7., Results: HP exhibited potent hair growth-promoting activity in C57BL/6 mice. Gross examination indicated that HP markedly increased hair regrowth as well as hair density and diameter. Histologic analysis showed that HP treatment enhanced the anagen induction of hair follicles. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that BrdU incorporation and the expressions of PCNA were increased by treatment of HP. HP treatment significantly increased the expression of FGF-7, which plays pivotal roles to maintain anagen phase both protein and mRNA levels., Conclusions: Taken together, our results indicate that HP has a potent hair growth-promoting activity; therefore, it may be a good candidate for the treatment of alopecia.

Objectives: This study was performed to analyze the toxicity and to find the lethal dose of the test substance Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture when used as a single-dose in 6 week old, male and female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats., Methods: All experiments were conducted at Biotoxtech (Chungwon, Korea), an institution authorized to perform non clinical studies, under the regulations of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). SD rats were chosen for the pilot study. Doses of Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture extracts, 0.125, 0.25 and 0.5 mL, were administered to the experimental group, and 0.5 mL 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: No deaths or abnormalities occurred in any of the groups. Also, no significant changes in body weights were observed among the groups, and no significant differences in hematology/biochemistry, necropsy, and histopathology results were noted. Hematologically, some changes in the male rats in two experimental groups were observed, but those changes had no clinical or toxicological meaning because they were not dose dependent. Histopathological tests on the injected parts showed cell infiltration in the male rats in one of the experimental groups; however, that result was due to spontaneous generation and had no toxicological meaning. Therefore, this study showed that Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture had no effect on the injected parts in terms of clinical signs, body weight, hematology, clinical chemistry, and necropsy., Conclusion: As a result of single-dose tests of the test substance Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture in 4 groups of rats, the lethal dose for both males and females exceeded 0.5 mL/animal. Therefore, the above findings suggest that treatment with Hominis placenta pharmacopuncture is relatively safe. Further studies on this subject are needed.

Background/objectives: The number of diabetic patients has recently shown a rapid increase, and delayed wound healing is a major clinical complication in diabetes. In this study, the wound healing effect of Hominis placenta (HP) treatment was investigated in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice., Materials/methods: Four full thickness wounds were created using a 4 mm biopsy punch on the dorsum. HP was injected subcutaneously at the middle region of the upper and lower wounds. Wounds were digitally photographed and wound size was measured every other day until the 14th day. Wound closure rate was analyzed using CANVAS 7SE software. Wound tissues were collected on days 2, 6, and 14 after wounding for H/E, immunohistochemistry for FGF2, and Masson's trichrome staining for collagen study., Results: Significantly faster wound closure rates were observed in the HP treated group than in normal and diabetes control mice on days 6 and 8. Treatment with HP resulted in reduced localization of inflammatory cells in wounded skin at day 6 in normal mice and at day 14 in diabetic mice (P < 0.01). Expression of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 2 showed a significant increase in the HP treated group on day 14 in both normal (P < 0.01) and diabetic mice (P < 0.05). In addition, HP treated groups showed a thicker collagen layer than no treatment groups, which was remarkable on the last day, day 14, in both normal and diabetic mice., Conclusions: Taken together, HP treatment has a beneficial effect on acceleration of cutaneous wound healing via regulation of the entire wound healing process, including inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling.