Study On Effect Characteristics And Different Mechanism Of Weight Reduction Treated By Electro-acupuncture On Different Position Points

Objective:To observe the effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) at ST36,LI11,ST25and auricular acupoint(stomach point in ending of helix crus,Jidian in midpoint of tragus lateral surface) treating diet-induced obesity (DIO) rats, and influence on expression of phosphoric-AMP-activated-protein-Kinase-a(pAMPKa), Glucokinase(GK),Glut-3in hypothalamus and pancreas and expression of serum visfatin protein,to explore the effect characteristics and the possible central mechanisms of acupuncture at different acupoints in treating simple obesity,providing evidence for clinical acupoint selection in treating DIO.Method:To establish DIO rat model by feeding with high fat diet. Rats were randomly divided into3groups:(1) normal control group,(2) DIO model group (3)EA group(subdivided into ST36,LI11,ST25and auricular acupoint group).Treatments and body mass weighing were administered everyday,resting one day per week,with5-weeks treatment course.After treatments, expression of pAMPKa,GK and Glut-3in hypothalamus and pancreas were mersured by immunohistochemistry method, serum visfatin protein level was determined by ELISA method.Result:After treatment, rats body weight in EA group reduced significantly(p=0.012),which indicated that EA at ST36,LI11,ST25and auricular acupoint can all reduce body weight and fat content,with LI11and ST25most effective(p<0.01) and LI11better than the other three groups in reducing fat content.In DIO model group,expression of Glut-3in hypothalamus decreased,and it increased after EA treatment in each group. In DIO model group,expression of GK in hypothalamus and pancreas decreased,it also increased after EA treatment in each group. There was no difference in expression of pAMPKa in hypothalamus both in model group and EA group.However, expression of pAMPKa in pancreas of DIO rats reduced,and it both increased after EA treatment at ST36and LI11,while no statistic significance in EA at ST25and auricular acupoint.In the aspect of serum visfatin,EA at ST36can only decrease the serum visfatin protein(P<0.01),and this effect didn’t present in the other three acupoints groups.Conclusion:There was specificity in acupoint of EA treating DIO.The regulation of hypothalamus and pancreas obesity factors in different acupoints show different effects.According to experimental. results above,EA at LI11and ST25can both reduce body weight and fat content,and as an health-care acupoint,ST36may not presente an outstanding effect in treating obesity,while auricular acupoint was better at reducing fat content and inhibiting vigorous appetide,yet limited in improving energy metabolism condition,which accounts for the reason why auricular acupoints combined with body acupoints was usually applied to treat DIO in clinic.