title: Circulating gonadotropins and ovarian adiponectin system are modulated by acupuncture independently of sex steroid or β-adrenergic action in a female hyperandrogenic rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: Acupuncture with combined manual and low-frequency electrical stimulation, or electroacupuncture (EA), reduces endocrine and reproductive dysfunction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), likely by modulating sympathetic nerve activity or sex steroid synthesis. To test this hypothesis, we induced PCOS in rats by prepubertal implantation of continuous-release letrozole pellets (200 µg/day) or vehicle. Six weeks later, rats were treated for 5-6 weeks with low-frequency EA 5 days/week, subcutaneous injection of 17β-estradiol (2.0 µg) every fourth day, or a β-adrenergic blocker (propranolol hydrochloride, 0.1 mg/kg) 5 days/week. Letrozole controls were handled without needle insertion or injected with sesame oil every fourth day. Estrous cyclicity, ovarian morphology, sex steroids, gonadotropins, insulin-like growth factor I, bone mineral density, and gene and protein expression in ovarian tissue were measured. Low-frequency EA induced estrous-cycle changes, decreased high levels of circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) and the LH/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio, decreased high ovarian gene expression of adiponectin receptor 2, and increased expression of adiponectin receptor 2 protein and phosphorylation of ERK1/2. EA also increased cortical bone mineral density. Propranolol decreased ovarian expression of Foxo3, Srd5a1, and Hif1a. Estradiol decreased circulating LH, induced estrous cycle changes, and decreased ovarian expression of Adipor1, Foxo3, and Pik3r1. Further, total bone mineral density was higher in the letrozole-estradiol group. Thus, EA modulates the circulating gonadotropin levels independently of sex steroids or β-adrenergic action and affects the expression of ovarian adiponectin system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Metabolismo, Departamento de Medicina Occidente, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maliqueo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benrick
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alvi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Laval University Research Center in Molecular Endocrinology, Oncology and Human Genomics, CHUL Research Center, Quebec G1V 4G2, Canada.
authors.forename: Fernand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Labrie
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Centre for Bone and Arthritis Research, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden.
authors.forename: Claes
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ohlsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, China. Electronic address: elisabet.stener-victorin@ki.se.
authors.forename: Elisabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stener-Victorin
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D030762:Estrous Cycle; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000097:blood*; D017588:Hyperandrogenism / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism*; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D006062:Gonadotropins; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; C548904:insulin-like growth factor-1, rat; D013739:Testosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
keywords: Acupuncture; Animal model; Estradiol; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Sympathetic nervous system