Effects of acupuncture on appetite regulating factors NPY and leptin of obese rats

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of acupuncture on appetite regulating factors NPY, Leptin of the fat rat, and explore the mechanism of the cellular and molecular mechanism of acupuncture in anti-obesity. MethodsLevels of serum and hypothalamic Neuropeptide Y(NPY) and leptin were measured with radioimmunoassay, and expression of neuropeptide Y(NPY) gene and Leptin receptor(OB-R) gene were determined with RT-PCR and Northern Blot techniques. The changes of body weight, Lee's index,levels of serum and hypothalamic NPY and leptin as well as expression of hypothalamic NPY gene and OB-R gene in the obese rats were observed before and after acupuncture. ResultsThe body weight, Lee's index and levels of serum NPY and Leptin as well as the expression of hypothalamic NPY gene in the obese rats were all significantly higher than those in the normal rats, but levels of hypothalamic Leptin [(0.23±0.15)ng/mg vs (0.51±0.13)ng/mg] and the expression of hypothalamic OB-R gene [(0.13±0.02) vs (0.21±0.03)] in the obese rats were all significantly lower than those in the normal rats. After acupuncture treatment, the marked weight lose effect was achieved while the levels of serum NPY and Leptin as well as expression of hypothalamic NPY gene obviously decreased, the!levels of hypothalamic leptin [(0.58± 0.08)ng/mg] and expression of hypothalamic OB-R gene (0.18±0.02) significantly increased in the obese rats. ConclusionAcupuncture have a benign regulative actions to the levels of peripheral blood and central NPY which can suppress the over-expression of hypothalamic NPY gene and can promote the expression of hypothalamic OB-R gene,these effects may be important cellular and molecular mechanisms in the anti-obesity of acupuncture.