title: Electroacupuncture regulates glucose-inhibited neurons in treatment of simple obesity.
abstract: The glucose-inhibited neurons present in the lateral hypothalamic area are regarded as glucose detectors. This structure is involved in the regulation of food intake through extracellular blood glucose concentrations, and plays a crucial role in obesity onset. In the present study, obesity models established with high fat feeding were treated with electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST36)/Inner Court (ST44) on the left side and Tianshu (ST25) bilaterally. We found that electroacupuncture could effectively reduce body weight and the fat-weight ratio, and decrease serum leptin, resistin, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and neuropeptide Y levels, while increase serum adiponectin and cholecystokinin-8 levels. This treatment altered the electrical activity of glucose-inhibited neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area, with electroacupuncture at Zusanli/Inner Court exerting an inhibitory effect, while electroacupuncture at bilateral Tianshu exerting an excitatory effect. These data suggest that electroacupuncture at the lower limbs and abdominal cavity is an effective means for regulating the activity of glucose-inhibited neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area and for improving the secretory function of adipose tissue.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Acupuncture and Drugs Affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Acupuncture and Drugs Affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Youbing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Acupuncture and Drugs Affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Chuanhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Acupuncture and Drugs Affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Acupuncture and Drugs Affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Acupuncture and Drugs Affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Acupuncture and Drugs Affiliated to the Ministry of Education of China, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
keywords: acupoint; acupuncture; acupuncture and moxibustion; adipose tissue; electroacupuncture; feeding center; grants-supported paper; hypothalamus; neural regeneration; neuroregeneration; obesity; regeneration