title: A Parametric Study on the Immunomodulatory Effects of Electroacupuncture in DNP-KLH Immunized Mice.
abstract: This study was conducted to compare the effects of low frequency electroacupuncture (EA) and high frequency EA at acupoint ST36 on the production of IgE and Th1/Th2 cytokines in BALB/c mice that had been immunized with 2,4-dinitrophenylated keyhole limpet protein (DNP-KLH), as well as to investigate the difference in the immunomodulatory effects exerted by EA stimulations at acupoint ST36 and at a non-acupoint (tail). Female BALB/c mice were divided into seven groups: normal (no treatments), IM (immunization only), ST36-PA (IM + plain acupuncture at ST36), ST36-LEA (IM + low frequency (1 Hz) EA at ST36), ST36-HEA (IM + high frequency (120 Hz) EA at ST36), NA-LEA (IM + low frequency (1 Hz) EA at non-acupoint) and NA-HEA (IM + high frequency (120 Hz) EA at non-acupoint). EA stimulation was performed daily for two weeks, and total IgE, DNP-KLH specific IgE, IL-4 and IFN-γ levels were measured at the end of the experiment. The results of this study showed that the IgE and IL-4 levels were significantly suppressed in the ST36-LEA and ST36-HEA groups, but not in the NA-LEA and NA-HEA groups. However, there was little difference in the immunomodulatory effects observed in the ST36-LEA and ST36-HEA groups. Taken together, these results suggest that EA stimulation-induced immunomodulation is not frequency dependent, but that it is acupoint specific.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Kwang
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Youngseop
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyunjoo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Sungtae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Sun Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Min-Kyu
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Moo-Chang
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Byung-Il
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Hyunsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bae