OBJECTIVETo observe the regulatory effects of electroacupuncture with different acupoints combinations on blood lipid and atherosclerosis index (AI) in rats with hyperlipemia, so as to make a preliminary screening for the optimal acupoints combination for hyperlipemia.

METHODSOne hundred and five clean-grade SD male rats were randomly divided into 9 groups, including a normal group, a model group, a Quchi group, a Zhongwan group, a Fenglong group, a Quchi+Zhongwan group, a Quchi+Fenglong group, a Zhongwan+Fenglong group and a Quchi+Zhongwan+Fenglong group (three acupoints group), 17 rats in the normal group and 11 rats in the rest groups. The normal group was fed with normal diet, while the rest groups were fed with high-fat diet for 3 weeks to prepare the hyperlipemia model. All the rats were given unlimited water. After the establishment of model, the normal group was fed freely without any treatment; the model group was bundled and immobilized everyday; the rest groups were bundled, immobilized and treated with electroacupuncture at corresponding acupoints with disperse-dense wave, 20 min per time, once a day. After 4 weeks, the blood examples were collected from abdominal aorta to measure the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and analyzed the AI in each group.

RESULTSAfter the treatment, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and AI in each acupuncture group were all lower than those in the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with single acupoint group and the Quchi+Zhongwan group, the content of TC in the three acupoints group was lower (P<0.01). The differences of content of TG among each acupuncture group were not significant (all P>0.05). Compared with the rest 6 acupuncture groups, the content of HDL-C and AI in the three acupoints group were significantly different (all P<0.05). The content of LDL-C in the three acupoints group was decreased as compared with the Quchi group and the Zhong-wan group.

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture at "Quchi" (LI 11), "Zhongwan" (CV 12) and "Fenglong" (ST 40) has more advantages on regulating the content of HDL-C and LDL-C as well as improving AI in hyperlipemia rats, and it has superior effects on blood lipid metabolism.