OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on gastrointestinal motility and expression of leptin(LEP) and cholecystokinin(CCK) in the small intestine in obese rats，so as to explore the mechanism of EA underlying improvement of obesity. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomized into 5 groups: normal control, obesity model, abdominal acupoints ［"Guanyuan" (CV4), "Zhongwan" (CV12) and bilateral "Tianshu" (ST25)］, lower-leg acupoints ［bilateral "Zusanli" (ST36) and bilateral "Fenglong" (ST40)］, and abdominal+ lower-leg acupoints (=10 rats in each group). The obesity model was established by feeding the animals with high-fat diet for 8 weeks. EA was applied to the abovementioned acupoints for 20 min every time, 3 times a week for 8 weeks. The food intake and body mass were recorded. The white adipose tissue around the testicles and in the abdominal region was weighed. The serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and non-esterified fatty acid(NEFA) were detected by using automatic biochemical analyzer. The gastric empty rate and intestinal propulsive rate were calculated. The contents of serum CCK and LEP were detected by using ELISA, and the expression levels of CCK and LEP proteins in the small intestine were detected by using Western blot. RESULTS: Following modeling, the food intake, body mass, weight of white adipose around the testicles and abdomen, the gastric empty rate, and serum TC, TG, NEFA and LEP contents as well as intestinal LEP expression were significantly increased (<0.05, <0.01), while the intestinal propulsive rate, serum CCK content and intestinal CCK expression were evidently decreased (<0.01) in the model group relevant to the normal control group. After EA interventions and compared with the model group, the increased levels of food intake, body mass, white adipose weight, gastric empty rate, TC, TG, and LEP in serum and small intestine, and the decreased levels of intestinal propulsive rate, CCK in the serum and intestine were reversed in the abdominal acupoints, lower-leg acupoints and abdominal+lower-leg acupoints groups (<0.05, <0.01). No significant differences were found in the effects of the three EA groups in down-regulating food intake, body mass, white adipose weight, gastric empty rate, serum TC, TG and LEP levels (except NEFA) and in up-regulating intestinal propulsive rate and CCK level (>0.05). CONCLUSION: EA stimulation of the abdominal and lower-leg acupoints or both can reduce body weight on obesity rats, which is associated with its functions in regulating intestinal motility, food intake, and secretion of LEP and CCK.