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The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sowthistle (Ixeris dentata, IXD) on development and expression of nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization and underlying neuronal activation reflected by c-Fos expression in rats. Rats were pretreated with IXD 30 min before a daily injection of nicotine during an 8-day development phase and then challenged with nicotine after a 6-day withdrawal period. In another set of experiments, same IXD doses were administered once 30 min before nicotine challenge. Daily IXD treatment during development phase was not effective in blocking nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization in rats. However, a single IXD treatment after the development and withdrawal periods of nicotine sensitization significantly alleviated sensitized locomotor behavior on day 15. These behavioral results were coincident with significant inhibition of nicotineinduced c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens. These results indicated that IXD pretreatment significantly blocked the expression, but not the development of nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization in rats.

Acupuncture therapy is based on the principle of restoring equilibrium of the body's energy state by regulating the flow of Qi in the corresponding meridians and acupoints. The purpose of this study was to determine whether bio-energy transfer occurs during acupuncture of the meridians. We treated 20 normal healthy subjects with acupuncture and measured changes in the direct current (DC) potential between the stomach meridian points ST-39 and ST-37 in response to invasive insertion of a needle at ST-36. Using a crossover study design, the practitioner performed the procedure on each subject once with bare (uncovered) hands (ABH) and once wearing surgical gloves (ASH) to shield the electric energy transfer. ABH produced a response pattern to each stimulation, whereas ASH produced a response pattern only to the first step. ABH elicited a significantly higher response potential than did ASH ( p < 0.001). These results suggest that there may be bio-energy (Qi) transfer during acupuncture along the meridians. This transferred bio-energy (Qi) seems to act as an electromotive force, which is purported to remove the stagnation or blockage of energy and restore an equilibrium state.

The midday-midnight law is a well-known empirical law in Oriental medicine stating that the circadian rhythm of internal organs influences their paired organs according to the time of day. However, there has been little research to test the purported relationship between the time of day and organ function. The purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate whether the midday-midnight law applies to the meridian activity and the electrical conduction properties of the acupuncture points. We used the digital readout instrument (MERIDIAN) to measure electrical conduction properties at 12 acupuncture points corresponding to the 12 meridians at four times: 12:00, 14:00, 22:00, and 24:00 hours. There were no significant differences in the electrical current values measured at the four times in any meridian. However, the mean current values of 12 acupuncture points changed significantly over time (P < 0.0001). The mean current values were significantly higher at 14:00 (P < 0.001), 22:00, and 24:00 hours (P < 0.001) than at 12:00 hours. The highest current value occurred at 22:00 hours and was significantly higher than 24:00 hours (P < 0.05). Although these do not conclusively support the traditional midday-midnight theory, our data suggest the existence of some type of daily variability in electrical current.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in bio-potential in the stomach meridians of 20 normal healthy control subjects (NHC) and 20 patients with gastric disease (PGD). We measured changes in potential between ST-39 and ST-37 on the stomach meridian in response to invasive insertion of a needle at ST-36. The response patterns of NHC were regular in both the left and right meridians, whereas the response patterns of PGD were irregular. The potential of the NHC was significantly higher than that of the PGD group. The potential values in the left and right meridians of NHC were the same. However, the potential in the right meridian was significantly higher than that in the left meridian of PGD ( p < 0.001). This study indicates that there may be changes in Qi or in the electrical properties of meridians according to health status, reflected in the regularity of the response to acupuncture or in the level of potential along meridians. Therefore, it may be possible to make a diagnosis from the state of a meridian by comparing levels of potential difference and its regularity.

Therapy using the acupuncture meridian system is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the electrical conduction properties of the meridians. The current conduction and potential profiles were compared after switching the current direction in the Hegu (LI-4) and Quchi (LI-11) meridians and over a non-acupuncture point 1 cm from Quchi (LI-11) in 20 healthy subjects. Both meridians demonstrated significantly higher conductivity between Hegu (LI-4) and Quchi (LI-11) than between Hegu (LI-4) and the non-acupuncture point. The direction of current, peak frequency and absolute potential values in the direction Hegu (LI-4) to Quchi (LI-11) differed significantly from those in the direction Quchi (LI-11) to Hegu (LI-4). These results suggest that the conducting pathways are stronger in the meridians than in the non-meridians and that preferential conduction directions exist between two acupuncture points. These results are consistent with the theories of Qi-circulation and traditional Chinese medicine.

The precise selection and the identification of acupuncture points are essential for the diagnosis and treatment of patients in Oriental medicine. In this study, we have developed a meridian identification system using Single-Power Alternating Current (SPAC), which discriminates between true acupoints and non-acupoints. The SPAC system is not affected by skin resistance or pressure and is more accurate than the existing meridian location system, which uses direct current (DC) excitation current. The accuracy of the meridian location is ensured with the SPAC system because it has the highest sensitivity and the lowest effect on the human body. A microprocessor is used to enhance reliability and increase the accuracy of the SPAC measurements. Current distribution is displayed using an image that overlays the measured skin current on the body image. The positions of the acupoints are then displayed on the body image. This method visualizes the meridian by measuring skin current with an improved electrode using the acupoint discrimination system. A computer display shows the transmitted current as a color related to the electrode position. We demonstrated that by changing the point of measurement on the skin and tracing the electrode on the screen, it is possible to visualize acupoints and meridian phenomena using the color display.

A Single-Power Alternating Current (SPAC) instrument was used to measure the low-impedance acupoints around Ho-Ku (LI-4), Yang-Hsi (LI-5), Yang-Ch'ih (TB-4), Yang-Ku (SI-5), T'ai-Yuan (Lu-9), Ta-Lung (EH-7) and Shen-Men (He-7). A four-electrode instrument was used to measure the subcutaneous impedance at these low-impedance acupoints and adjacent control points on 12 healthy people. The mean subcutaneous impedance at the acupoints was 49.8±8.4 Ω, significantly lower than the impedance of 53.5±9.3 Ω for the control points (P

Using mouse peritoneal macrophages, we have examined the mechanism by which Ixeris dentata (IXD) regulates nitric oxide (NO) production. When IXD was used in combination with recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma), there was a marked cooperative induction of NO production. However, IXD had no effect on NO production by itself. The increased production of NO from rIFN-gamma plus IXD-stimulated cells was almost completely inhibited by pre-treatment with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB). Furthermore, treatment with IXD alone or rIFN-gamma plus IXD in peritoneal macrophages caused a significant increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production. PDTC decreased TNF-alpha production induced by IXD significantly. These findings demonstrate that IXD increases the production of NO and TNF-alpha by rIFN-gamma-primed macrophages and suggest that NF-kappaB plays a critical role in mediating these effects of IXD.

We studied the inhibitory effect of the green sap of Ixeris dentata (IXD) on compound 48/80-induced anaphylaxis-like response in a murine model. IXD dose-dependently inhibited the anaphylaxis-like response induced by compound 48/80 in mice. IXD inhibited the anaphylaxis-like fatal response at the dose of 0.1 g/kg by 75%. IXD had a significant inhibitory effect on compound 48/80-induced ear swelling response at the doses of 0.05 and 0.1 g/kg. IXD (0.1 g/kg) also inhibited passive cutaneous anaphylaxis mediated by anti-dinitrophenyl IgE by 81.45%. When IXD was given as a pretreatment at concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 0.1 g/l, the histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells induced by compound 48/80 was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that IXD may possess antianaphylactic activity.

Heart rate variability (HRV) was compared in 30 subjects receiving external Qi therapy (EQT) or placebo control therapy, in a crossover design experiment. Subjects who received the EQT reported more pleasant and calm emotions than did the placebo group. Qi therapy reduced the heart rate and increased HRV as indicated by a reduced low frequency/high frequency power ratio of HRV. With nonlinear analysis, the Poincaré plot index of HRV and approximate entropy was greater in the EQT group than in the control group. These findings suggest that EQT stabilizes the sympathovagal function and cardiac autonomic nervous system by inducing more positive emotions than the placebo therapy. In conclusion, EQT may act by stabilizing both the autonomic nervous system and the emotional state.

The conventional acupuncture-point stimulus pattern uses direct current (DC) to discriminate acupuncture point and meridian lines, which are fundamental to diagnosis and treatment in Oriental medicine. However, DC is insufficiently reliable in discriminating these acupuncture points and lines. To overcome these problems, the authors extracted optimal parameters (e.g., squarelike waveform with a frequency of 4 kHz) with a single power alternating current (SPAC) stimulus pattern of 1.28 V. The SPAC stimulus pattern has little or no effect on cells and the body's physiological state and minimizes polarization and ionization of cells because it uses low voltage and alternating current. The authors developed a new meridian discrimination system that can be used with the SPAC.

The Yellow Emperor's Internal Medicine (Nei-Jing) describes the relationship between five internal organs corresponding to five different meridians and five oriental musical tones such as Gung (spleen), Sang (liver), Gak (liver), Chi (heart), Wu (kidney). However, there has been little research to test this relationship. The purpose of this study was to determine this relationship through applying sound stimulation for 60 seconds, comprising various frequencies produced on an electric organ(Gung: 261.6 Hz; Sang: 293.7 Hz; Gak: 329.6 Hz Chi: 392.0 Hz and Wu: 440.0 Hz), to 20 healthy adults by stimulating their ears (via headphones), skin (via speakers) and both. A significant relationship was found between the tones and the meridians as they are described in Nei-Jing. The greatest response rates were found in the following corresponding organic and musical tones: spleen/Gung, lung/Sang, liver/Gak, heart/Chi, and kidney/Wu. The traditional descriptions of Yellow Emperor's Nei-Jing are therefore consistent with the findings of this study. Further basic research may lead to the application of clinically appropriate tones in an acoustically suitable room following oriental medical diagnosis.

Meridian theory is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Although acupuncture has been accepted in many countries, the nature of the meridian theory and the principles of acupuncture are still unclear in the modern scientific view. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in wave propagation of mechanical vibrations (optimal stimulator frequency of 40 Hz) through the pericardium meridian [EH-4 (Chieh-Men) and EH-5 (Chien-Shih)] and adjacent control regions in 20 subjects using hydrodynamic analysis. The mean transfer speed was significantly lower in the meridian (4 m/s) than in the adjacent control region (8.5 m/s, P

Ixeris dentata var. albiflora Nakai, a herbal plant, is often used to make a strong stomach as an antiphlogistic used when dyspepsia and to improve appetite in Korea and China. And also it is used for adult diseases such as diabetes and liver diseases as Korean traditional medicine. In this study, the composition and DPPH radical scavenging activities of the root of Ixeris dentata var. albiflora Nakai and its effects on cell viability on vero and chang cells were investigated. Moisture, crude ash, crude protein and crude lipid were 79.14, 2.49, 8.28 and 2.56 g/100 g respectively. The highest mineral content was K. The major free sugars were glucose, fructose and sucrose. Major fatty acid are linoleic acid, palmic acid and linolenic acid. Major amino acids were glutamic acid, arginine and aspartic acid and the total contents of amino acids were 28.12 ㎎/g. The methanol extracts were further fractionated with n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, butanol and water to get an active fraction. In addition, cell viabilities in each fraction were determined. Methanol extract, butanol, and aqueous fraction showed strong survival rates in vero cell and chang cell viability test, and hexane, chloroform, and ethylacetate fraction were examined for toxin in a cell. The root of Ixeris dentata var. albiflora Nakai had scavenging activities against DPPH radicals in a dose-dependent assay. Ethylacetate fraction’s SC50 was 6.8 ㎍/㎖, very strong DPPH radical scavenging activities, but water fraction did not show any activity.