title: Effects of acupuncture on monoamine neurotransmitters in raphe nuclei in obese rats.
abstract: Effects of acupuncture on the levels of neurotransmitters in the raphe nuclei were investigated in obese rats. It was found that the levels of tryptophan (Trp) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were increased, and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) level and 5-HT/5-HIAA ratio decreased in the raphe nuclei of the obese group as compared with the normal group; and that acupuncture could produce weight reduction, increase the 5-HT level and 5-HT/5-HIAA ratio, and decrease the contents of Trp and 5-HIAA, but did not change the levels of dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NA). It is indicated that benign regulative action of acupuncture on 5-HT and its metabolism in the raphe nuclei is possibly one of the factors for reducing weight by acupuncture.
authors.affiliation: Department of TCM, Nanjing Military Region General Hospital, Jiangsu Province 210002.
authors.forename: Qunli
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Zhicheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture; D000818:Animals; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D012701:Serotonin; D014364:Tryptophan; D009638:Norepinephrine