Up-regulation of the expression of cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide by electroacupuncture in the arcuate nucleus of diet-induced obese rats.

Abstract

It was reported that acupuncture or electro-acupuncture (EA) is effective in reducing the body weight for obese patients, although the mechanisms remain obscure. In a previous study, we have found that rats fed with high-fat (HIF) diet developed diet-induced obesity (DIO) with a concomitant decrease in the hypothalamic content of the cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptide, a peptide with anorexiogenic effect. To assess the central effect of EA on DIO rat, we revealed that EA up-regulated the expression of CART peptide in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the DIO rats. After feeding with HIF diet for 14 weeks, the DIO rats received EA stimulation three times per week for 4 weeks. The expression of CART peptide in ARC was measured using immunohistochemistry. The plasma ACTH was measured with ELISA. EA caused a reduction of both body weight and energy intake in DIO rats and increased the expression of CART peptide in ARC. The plasma ACTH was increased in response to restraint stress, but EA produced no further increase in ACTH levels. The results suggest that EA can up-regulate the expression of CART peptide to approach normal level, resulting in an inhibition of food intake and a reduction of body weight in DIO rats.

• Authors: De-Run Tian, Xiao-Dong Li, Fei Wang, Dong-Bin Niu, Qi-Hua He, Yun-Sheng Li, Jaw-Kang Chang, Jun Yang, Ji-Sheng Han
• Journal: Neuroscience letters (Neurosci Lett) 2005 Jul 22-29 Vol. 383 Issue 1-2 Pg. 17-21 ISSN: 0304-3940 [Print] Ireland
• PMID: 15885905 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Dietary Fats
• Nerve Tissue Proteins
• cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript protein
• Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

Topics

• Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (blood)
• Analysis of Variance
• Animals
• Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus (cytology, drug effects, metabolism, radiation effects)
• Body Weight (drug effects, radiation effects)
• Cell Count (methods)
• Dietary Fats (adverse effects)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
• Electroacupuncture (methods)
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (methods)
• Gene Expression Regulation (radiation effects)
• Immunohistochemistry (methods)
• Male
• Nerve Tissue Proteins (metabolism)
• Obesity (chemically induced, therapy)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Restraint, Physical (methods)
• Time Factors