title: Acupuncture does not ameliorate metabolic disturbances in the P450 aromatase inhibitor-induced rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome.
abstract: What is the central question of this study? The effectiveness of low-frequency electroacupuncture in the treatment of metabolic disorders associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine-metabolic disorder characterized by an imbalance in sex steroid production, is controversial. What is the main finding and its importance? In a rat model of PCOS induced by the inhibition of P450 aromatase, low-frequency electroacupuncture increased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol but did not improve the insulin resistance or the adipose tissue dysfunction, suggesting that a balance of sex steroids is needed to restore the metabolic function in this rat model of PCOS. Low-frequency electroacupuncture restores sex steroid synthesis and sympathetic activity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, which may ameliorate its metabolic disturbances, probably by modulating sympathetic nerve activity or sex steroid synthesis. We investigated whether low-frequency electroacupuncture regulates the metabolic function to the same extent as treatment with estradiol or β-adrenergic blocking in a rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome induced by a P450 aromatase inhibitor (letrozole). Letrozole (200 μg day-1) or placebo pellets were implanted in prepubertal Wistar rats. Six weeks thereafter, rats were treated for 5-6 weeks with the following: low-frequency electroacupuncture (5 days per week); a β-adrenergic blocker (propranolol hydrochloride, 0.1 mg kg-1, 5 days per week); or 17β-estradiol (2.0 μg) every fourth day. Body weight development, body composition, locomotor activity, insulin sensitivity, tissue-specific glucose uptake, lipid profile, adipocyte size, serum concentrations of adiponectin and insulin, and gene expression in inguinal fat were measured. All treatments increased circulating levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Estradiol treatment restored locomotor activity and increased insulin sensitivity but did not modify the glucose uptake in muscle and fat. An upregulation of genes related to insulin sensitivity and downregulation of genes related to adipogenesis were observed in subcutaneous adipose tissue from rats exposed to letrozole. Only estradiol treatment normalized the expression of these genes. In conclusion, low-frequency electroacupuncture increased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol without affecting insulin sensitivity or adipose tissue function, which could suggest effects on hepatic lipid regulation, probably mediated by the action of estradiol or the β-adrenergic pathway.
authors: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.|Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Metabolismo, Departamento de Medicina Occidente, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Maliqueo
authors: Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.|School of Health and Education, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Benrick
authors: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.|Laboratório de Ginecologia Estrutural e Molecular (LIM 58), Disciplina de Ginecologia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Rodrigo Rodrigues
authors: RR
authors: Marcondes
authors: Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Johansson
authors: 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: Miao
authors: M
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: Elisabet
authors: 0000-0002-3424-1502
authors: E
authors: Stener-Victorin
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D000077289:Letrozole; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism; D014230:Triazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D047072:Aromatase Inhibitors; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D009570:Nitriles; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D014230:Triazoles; D000077289:Letrozole; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D001141:Aromatase