In order to study the therapeutic effect of aqua-acupuncture with HH(Houttuyniae Herba) extract solution manufactured by the water- alcohol method, 10% HH aqua-acupuncture was carried out every two days for 20 days on the corresponding bilateral loci of Shinsu(BL23) and Kansu(BL18) after mercuric chloride intoxication in the Sprague-Dawley strain male rats weighing about 300g, and thereafter WBC, RBC, hematocrit, hemoglobin, platelet, GOT, GPT, ALP, γ-GT, albumin, total bilirubin, BUN and creatinine were measured at the 10th and the 20th experimental day. Mercury concentrations in kidney and liver were measured and histopathological findings were studied as well.
In this study, HgCl₂ intoxication was induced by intraperitoneal injection with mercuric chloride(HgCl_2, 2mg㎎/㎏), and animals were divided into 5 groups; 1) Normal group, 2) Control group which was intoxicated with HgCl₂, 3) Sample I group which was treated with 0.4㎖ HH aqua-acupuncture into the bilateral Shinsu(BL23) and Kansu(BL18) after HgCl₂ intoxication, 4) SampleII group which was treated with 0.4㎖ normal saline into the bilateral Shinsu(BL23) and Kansu(BL18) after HgCl₂intoxication, and 5) SampleIII group which was treated with 0.4㎖ HH aqua-acupuncture into the bilateral non-acupuncture loci at the root of tail of rats after HgCl₂ intoxication.
The results were as follows:
1. There were not any significant changes of WBC, RBC, hemoglobin, ALP, γ-GT, albumin and total bilirubin in the sample I, II and III groups respectively as comrared with the control group.
2. It showed significant decreases of platelet in the sample I group on the 10th and the 20th experimental day as compared with the control group.
3. It showed significant decreases of hematocrit, GOT, GPT and creatinine in the sample I group on the 10th experimental day as compared with the control group.
4. It showed significant decreases of BUN in the sample I group on the 20th experimental day as compared with the control group.
5. It showed significant decreases of renal and hepatic mercury concentrations in the sample I group as compared with the control group.
6. By the histopathological observations under a light microscope, the sample I group showed remarkable mitosis and regeneration of tubular lining cells with visible nuclei even though there was slight atrophy in renal tubules, whereas the control group showed acute tubular necrosis with severe necrosis in tubular epithelial cells.
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