Abstract

To study the effect of electroacupuncture on obesity through browning of white adipocytes and mitochondrial autophagy. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups, normal mice, obese mice and obese mice with electroacupuncture treatment (10 mice in each group). 2/15Hz Electroacupuncture was applied to single Tianshu acupoint of obesity mice under conscious state for 15 min each time and 5 times/w for 4 w. Lee’s Index and epididymal adipose cell size were measure to assess the therapeutic effect. Visceral white adipose tissue was Isolated and analyzed the expression level of uncoupling protein 1 and PR domain containing 16 by western blot. Messenger RNA of uncoupling protein 1, Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha, PR domain containing 16; Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, phosphatase and tensin homolog induced putative kinase 1, Parkin and protein 62 were tested by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Average Lee’s index of fat model group was significantly higher than that of control group (p<0.05). Average Lee’s index of electroacupuncture group was significantly lower compared to fat model group (p<0.05). Epididymal adipose cell size of fat model group was significantly higher than that of control group (p<0.05). Epididymal adipose cell size of electroacupuncture group was significantly lower than that of fat model group (p<0.05). The relative gray value of uncoupling protein 1 and PR domain containing 16 of fat model group were both lower than that of the control group (p<0.05). Compared to the fat model group, the electroacupuncture group had higher level of uncoupling protein 1 and PR domain containing 16 (p<0.05). The mRNA of uncoupling protein 1, Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha, PR domain containing 16, Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, PTEN induced putative kinase 1, Parkin and protein 62 all decreased in the fat model group compared to the control group (p<0.05). The electroacupuncture group raised the mRNA level of uncoupling protein 1, Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha, PR domain containing 16, Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, PTEN induced putative kinase 1, Parkin and protein 62 compared to the fat model group (p<0.05). Electroacupuncture showed high efficacy on obesity for reducing Lee’s index and epididymal adipose cell size of the obese mice. Electroacupuncture can trigger browning of white adipocytes to accelerate lipometabolism by increasing uncoupling protein 1 and PR domain containing 16. The other mechanism of electroacupuncture on obesity is mitochondrial autophagy by up-regulation of Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha, beclin1, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, phosphatase and tensin homolog induced putative kinase 1, Parkin and protein 62.