Effects of the Bee Venom Herbal Acupuncture on the Neurotransmitters of the Rat Brain Cortex

Yun, Hyoung-Seok; Lee, Jae-Dong

Keywords: bee venom; NADPH-diaphorase; vasoactive intestinal peptide; neuropeptide-Y

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3831/KPI.2001.4.1.125

In order to study the effects of bee venom herbal acupuncture on the neurotransmitters of the rat brain cortex, herbal acupuncture with the bee venom group and normal saline group was performed bilaterally on the point corresponding to LI 4 of the rat. The average optical density of the neurotransmitters from the cerebral cortex was analyzed 30 minutes after the herbal acupuncture with immunohistochemical methods. The results were as follows: 1. The density of NADPH-diaphorase in the bee venom group was increased significantly at the motor cortex, visual cortex, auditory cortex, cingulate cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and perirhinal cortex, compared to the normal saline group. 2. The average optical density of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the bee venom group had significant changes at the insular cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and perirhinal cortex, compared to the normal saline group. 3. The average optical density of neuropeptide-Y in the bee venom group increased significantly at the visual cortex and cingulate cortex, compared to the normal saline group.