OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on expression of hypothalamic sirtuin 1(SIRT1) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and body weight, food-intake, blood glucose, and blood lipid levels in obese rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of obesity.

METHODS

Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal, model, EA, and sham EA groups (＝10 rats in each group). The obesity model was established by feeding the rats with high fat diet. EA (2 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to "Zusanli" (ST36), "Zhongwan" (CV12), "Guanyuan" (CV4) and "Fenglong" (ST40) or sham acupoints (about 5 mm beside each acupoint, shallow needling) for 20 min, once every other day for 8 weeks. The rats' body weight and food-intake were recorded. The blood glucose (fasting plasma glucose: FPG, postprandial plasma glucose: PPG) and blood lipids (triglyceride: TG, total cholesterol: TC, non esterified fatty acid: NEFA) were assayed by using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The protein and mRNA expression levels of SIRT1 and POMC in the hypothalamus were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively.

RESULTS

In comparison with the normal group, the body weight, food-intake, blood lipids, and PPG levels were significantly increased (<0.05，<0.01), and the expression levels of SIRT1 protein and mRNA in the hypothalamus were significantly doun-regulated in the model group (<0.05). Following EA, the body weight, food-intake, blood lipids, and PPG levels were considerably down-regulated (<0.01，<0.05), and the expression levels of SIRT1 and POMC protein and mRNA in the hypothalamus were significantly up-regulated in the EA group rather than those in the sham EA and the model groups (<0.05)．.

CONCLUSION

EA can reduce the obese rats' body weight, food-intake, blood lipids and blood glucose, which may be associated with its effect in up-regulating the SIRT1 and POMC expression of hypothalamus.