Influence of catgut implantation at acupoints on leptin and insulin resistance in simple obesity rats.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of catgut implantation at acupoints on leptin resistance (LR) and insulin resistance (IR) in the simple obesity rat. METHODS: Rats were made obese with high-fat diets, after which surgical catgut was implanted at Zusanli (ST 36) and Neiting (ST 44) acupoints once a week for 4 weeks (implantation group). Rats from the implantation group were compared with normal rats and unoperated obese rats (control group). Gene expression of the leptin receptor (OB-R) was evaluated using RT-PCR and northern blot. Serum and hypothalamus leptin and insulin (INS) levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. Body weight, Lee's index, body fat, serum and hypothalamus leptin and INS levels, and hypothalamic OB-R gene expression were determined before and after treatment. RESULTS: Body weights, Lee's index, body fat, and serum leptin and INS levels were significantly higher in obese than in normal rats. Hypothalamic leptin and INS levels and OB-R gene expression were significantly lower in obese rats. Catgut implantation at acupoint promoted weight loss and decreased serum leptin and INS levels. Hypothalamic leptin and INS levels and OB-R gene expression increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Catgut implantation at acupoint adjusts central and peripheral leptin and promotes hypothalamic OB-R gene expression. This may be an important method for regulation of LR, IR and abnormal endocrinology and metabolism.

[Adverse reactions of acupoint embedding and its treatment].

In this paper the adverse reactions of acupoint embedding and its treatment are summarized, including fever, infection, callosity, blood stasis, red swelling, numb swelling, pain, fester, ulcer, etc. It is consi-dered that adverse reactions are induced by the inappropriate operation, special constitution and embedding material. Thus we need to pay attention to standard manipulation, the contraindication, and cautious usage. Symptomatic treatment needs to be implemented timely once adverse reactions occur.

Clinical efficacy of simple obesity treated by catgut implantation at acupoints.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effificacy of treatment with catgut implantation at acupoints on simple obesity. METHODS: Following the theory of Chinese medicine (CM), pattern identification (PI) and treatment was based on the patient's symptoms and signs. Patients were observed during three courses and one year following treatment through self-comparison before and after six or seven acupoints catgut implantation. Obesity was divided into fifive types based on PI: (1) Stomach (Wei) and Intestine excess-heat, (2) Spleen (Pi) defificiency and phlegmwet stagnancy, (3) Liver (Gan)-qi stagnation, (4) Spleen-Kidney (Shen) yang deficiency, and (5) Liver-Kidney yin defificiency. Changes in the following measurements were recorded in 820 patients: body weight, body girth, skinfold thickness, body mass index (BMI), fat percentage (F%) and waist/hip ratio (WHR) and in the following blood values: leptin (LP), insulin (INS), blood lipids, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and insulin sensitive index (ISI) before and after the treatment. Values were compared with those of healthy controls (normal group). RESULTS: Catgut implantation showed effificacy with all fifive types of obesity. Effificacy was greater in males than in females. There was no signifificant difference between the different types by Kruskal-Wallis H test, but the effect was best and of the highest number in patients with Stomach and Intestine excess-heat. Skin-fold thickness, body weight, waist circumference, F%, BMI, and WHR in all 820 cases decreased after treatment (at 90 days and one year), with signifificant differences before and after treatment (P<0.01). Improved metabolism of blood lipids was also seen. Following treatment, LP, INS, and FBS decreased signifificantly (P<0.01) and ISI increased signifificantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Catgut implantation at acupoints provided effective and persistent results, convenience, safety, painlessness, and prolonged effect with no side effects, resulting in reduced body weight and fat and improvement in body shape.

[Clinical study on female obesity complicated with climacteric syndrome treated by acupuncture].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of acupuncture in treating obesity complicated with climacteric syndrome (OCCS). METHODS: Thirty female OCCS patients were treated by acupuncture, combination of body and auricular acupuncture, according to the treating principle based on syndrome differentiation. The changes in symptoms, signs, obesity index, Kupperman index, vegetative nerve system equilibrium index (Y value), levels of estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), leptin (LP), insulin (INS), nitric oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and insulin activation index (IAI) in patients were observed. RESULTS: The obesity index, Kupperman index, Y value, and levels of LH, FSH, GnRH, LP, and INS increased, while levels of E2, NO, NOS and IAI decreased in OCCS patients. After acupuncture treatment, in the same time of obtaining promising effect in reducing weight, reversing effect was shown in all the above-mentioned parameters (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) . CONCLUSION: Acupuncture has favorable regulatory effect on Kupperman index, Y value, E2, LH, FSH, GnRH, NO, NOS, LP, INS and IAI in OCCS patients, its effect in improving the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad axis, vegetative nerve function and vasomotor dysfunction, and adjusting the resistance to leptin and insulin may be the important mechanisms.