title: [Effect of electroacupuncture on hypothalamic leptin and leptin receptor mRNA expression in rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on leptin and leptin receptor(Ob-rb) mRNA expression in the hypothalamus of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) rats, so as to reveal its underlying mechanism in the treatment of NAFLD inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n = 10), model group (n = 11) and EA group (n = 11). NAFLD model was established by feeding the animals with high fat diet for 8 weeks. EA (10 Hz, 1.5 V, 30 min) was applied to unilateral "Fenglong" (ST 40) and "Zusanli" (ST 36), once daily for 4 weeks. After the treatment, all the rats were sacrificed for collecting the liver to make pathological observation after HE staining and for taking the hypothalamus tissue out to detect the leptin mRNA and leptin receptor (Ob-rb) mRNA expression by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyeride (TG) contents were detected by chromatometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, serum TC and TG levels increased significantly in the model group (P < 0.05). While compared with model group, both TC and TG levels in EA group were reduced considerably (P < 0.05). In comparison with control group, the expression of hypothalamic leptin mRNA and Ob-rb mRNA was down-regulated remarkably (P < 0.05), while 4 weeks after EA treatment, both leptin mRNA expression and Ob-rb mRNA expression were up-regulated obviously (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA can lower serum TG and TC contents in NAFLD rats, which is closely related to its effects in up-regulating the expression of hypothalamic leptin mRNA and Ob-rb mRNA.
authors.affiliation: College of Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Lian-Shi
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D002784:Cholesterol