title: Electroacupuncture suppresses expression of gastric ghrelin and hypothalamic NPY in chronic food restricted rats.
abstract: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been reported to reduce body weight in overweight subjects in clinical practice, as well as in rats and mice with diet-induced obesity. In the present study, this effect of EA was tested in lean rats subjected to long-term food restriction (FR, food was offered only 1 h/day). Two hertz EA administered once every other day produced a further reduction in body weight in FR rats. Exploration of the mechanism involved revealed significant downregulation of the orexigenic peptides: ghrelin in the stomach, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) but not Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) in the hypothalamus, which was in line with the reduction in food intake in rats receiving EA stimulation as compared with those receiving restraint only. Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3), involved in accelerating energy expenditure, was not significantly altered. These results suggest that the EA-induced body weight reduction was due mainly to a decrease in food intake rather than an increase in energy expenditure. A reduction in the orexigenic peptides ghrelin and NPY may be involved in the underlying mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100083, PR China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: De-Run
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Shi-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Yu-Shun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jaw-Kang
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ji-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D054369:Agouti-Related Protein; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005508:Food Deprivation; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D054439:Ghrelin; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism*; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013270:Stomach / Q000166:cytology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3
chemical_list: D054369:Agouti-Related Protein; D001786:Blood Glucose; D054439:Ghrelin; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014280:Triglycerides; C000604393:Ucp3 protein, mouse; C000604394:Ucp3 protein, rat; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3