Effect of Herbal-acupuncture with Chaenomelis Fructus Solution at the Joksamni($ST_{36}$) of Mice with Collagen-induced Aarthritis

목과(木瓜) 약침(藥鍼)이 Collagen-induced Arthritis 억제 및 면역조절에 미치는 영향

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of Chaenomelis Fructus herbal-acupuncture solution (ChF-HAS) at the Joksamni ($ST_{36}$) on arthritis induced by Collagen II in mice. Methods : The author performed several experimental items. The severity of arthritis, changes of mouse weight, size of the spleen and the degree of stenosis, changes of cytokine level, IgG, IgM and anti-collagen II, changes of immunocyte count, histological changes of the CIA mouse joint were analyzed and the conclusions are as follows. Results: 1. In the ChF-HA, the arthritis index, the incidence of arthritis, the degree of joint edema was significantly decreased. 2. In the ChF-HA, weight, spleen size and stenosis rate was low and maintained as the normal group was. 3. In the ChF-HA, cytokine level, IgG, IgM and anti-collagen II were significantly decreased. 4. In the ChF-HA, on changes of immunocyte count were maintained to the levels of normal group. 5. In histological changes of the CIA mouse joint, the cartilage destruction and synovial cell proliferation were decreased. Conclusions: These results suggest that ChF-HA at the $ST_{36}$ has an important role to control the immune reactions and suppress inflammatory response on the collagen induced rheumatoid arthritis. This study can be a significant supporting evidence that ChF-HA is chosen to be the principal therapy for clinical practice of the rheumatoid arthritis in the future.