| Objectives:Observe the effects of electroacupuncture and catgut embedding at acupoints on the expression of PPAR-y mRNA in simple obesity rats to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms of electroacupuncture and catgut embedding at acupoints of regulating lipid disorders to obesity.Methods:Simple obesity was induced in male SD rats with high-fat and high-glucose diet for 10 weeks. Thirty-six rats with obesity were randomly divided into model-control group, electroacupuncture (EA) group and catgut embedding (CE) group, with 12 rats in each group. Another 12 normal SD rats serving as normal-control group were fed by standard rat chow. Rats in the EA group were treated with electroacupuncture at bilateral acupoints of Housanli(ST36), Tianshu(ST25), and Pishu(BL20) 1 time for each of the consecutive 15 days,15 times totally. Rats in the CE group were treated with catgut embedding at the same acupoints with the EA group 1 time in every 7 days, twice totally. Rats in the other two groups were not interfered. During the treatment, observe body weight and daily ingestion regularly. After 15 days' treatment, observe changes in body weight, the levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) in serum were assayed, the activities of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) in liver tissues measured, observe the histology of liver steatosis after the hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, and the mRNA expression levels of Peroxisome proliferators activated receptor-y(PPAR-y) in adipose tissues determined.Result:After the intervention, the day food intake of EA and CE groups is lower than normal-control group (P<0.01, P<0.01), the body weight in the EA and CE groups were significantly lower than those in the model-control group(P<0.01). Compared with the normal control group, there was significant increasing of levels of TC and LDL-C in serum (P<0.01), descending activities of LPL and HL in liver tissues (P<0.05, P<0.01), and decreased expression levels of PPAR-y mRNA in adipose tissues in the model-control group (P<0.05). In model group, light microscope observation revealed swelling of hepatocytes, and different sizes of lipid droplets inside the cytoplasm and gathered into groups most, fatty degeneration from mediumto severe degrees in hepatocytes. The EA and CE groups both had decreased TC (P<0.05, P<0.01) and LDL-C (P<0.01, P<0.05) levels in serum compared with the model-control group, while there was no difference among each group as to TG levels (P>0.05). The activities of LPL (P<0.01, P<0.05) and HL (P<0.01) were also significantly enhanced in EA and CE groups as compared with those in the model-control group, so were the expression levels of PPAR-γmRNA in adipose tissues (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, fatty degeneration and infiltration of inflammatory cells decreased significantly in the AE and CE groups.Conclusion:Electroacupuncture and catgut embedding at acupoints can enhance the expression of PPAR-γmRNA in adipose tissues to promote the mobilization of body fat, activate the activities of LPL and HL to reduce the store of fat in liver, and decrease the levels of lipid in serum of simple obesity rats. PPAR-y is possibly one of the mechanisms of electroacupuncture and catgut embedding at acupoints adjusting the lipid metabolism disorder of obesity. |
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