[Effects of electroacupuncture and acupoint catgut-embedding on mRNA expression of lipid metabolism gene PPAR-gamma and related lipase of rats with simple obesity].

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of electroacupuncture and acupoints catgut-embedding in losing weight.
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 controls (normal control group) were fed by standard rat chow. Rats in the EA group were treated with electroacupuncture at bilateral acupoints of "Housanli" (ST 36), "Tianshu" (ST 25), and "Pishu" (BL 20), once daily for consecutive 15 days. Rats in the CE group were treated with catgut-embedding at the same acupoints with the EA group, once every 7 days. Rats in the other two groups were not interfered. After 15 days of treatment, changes of body weight were observed, 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 were measured, and the mRNA expression levels of Peroxisome proliferators activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) in adipose tissues were determined.
RESULTS: After the intervention, body weight and increase of body weight in the EA and CE groups were significantly lower than those in the model-control group (all P<0.01). Compared with the normal control group, there was significant increasing of levels of TC and LDL-C in serum (both P<0.01), descending activities of LPL and HL in liver tissues (P<0.05, P<0.01), and decreased expression levels of PPAR-gamma mRNA in adipose tissues in the model-control group (P<0.05). Compared with the model-control group, there were obviously decreased in TC, LDL-C Level in serum in EA and CE groups (P<0.05, P<0.01), while there was no difference in TG levels among three groups (P>0.05). The activities of LPL and HL were also significantly enhanced in EA and CE groups as compared with those in the model-control group (P<0.01, P<0.05), so were the expression levels of PPAR-gamma mRNA in adipose tissues (both P<0.01).
CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture and acupoint catgut-embedding can regulate the lipid metabolic disorders in rats with obesity through enhancing the expression of PPAR-gamma mRNA in adipose tissues, activating the activities of LPL and HL and decreasing the levels of TC and LDL-C in serum.