title: Effect of Electroacupuncture on Inflammation in the Obese Zucker Fatty Rat Model of Metabolic Syndrome.
abstract: Chronic inflammation is known to be associated with visceral obesity and insulin resistance and is characterized by altered levels of production of adipokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, leptin, and adiponectin. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major and escalating public health and clinical challenge worldwide, and patients with MetS have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Electroacupuncture (EA) was tested as a means of decreasing inflammation in genetically obese Zucker fatty rats, which serve as a model of MetS. Repeated application of EA at the Zhongwan/Guanyuan acupoints decreased serum TNF-α, but produced no significant alterations in serum leptin, adiponectin, or IL-10. EA had no significant effect on the levels of these four adipokines in white adipose tissue. These findings are consistent with the supposition that EA inhibits proliferation and/or infiltration of macrophages into the adipose tissue of obese rats and stimulates the release of IL-10 from the decreased numbers of macrophages present in adipose tissue. Compared with the control animals, no significant change in body weight occurred. The blood glucose (BG) level over a 30-minute interval in Week 2 was relatively the same as that in Week 1, suggesting that EA treatment does not increase the likelihood of developing hyperglycemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jacqueline J T
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Liaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Electronic address: phil.peplow@stonebow.otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Philip V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Peplow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D009765:Obesity / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D020738:Leptin; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors; D016753:Interleukin-10
keywords: Zucker rat; adipokines; blood glucose; electroacupuncture; metabolic syndrome; obesity