Acupoint catgut embedding therapy shows significant efficacy in treating obesity with simple operation and definite safety. This article reviewed research progress in acupoint catgut embedding therapy on obesity from the aspects of experiment and clinical research in recent years and made evaluation and proposed expectation, with a purpose to further guide clinical application and research of acupoint catgut embedding.

BACKGROUND: The abnormality of the function of arcuate nucleus may be an important factor of obesity. It has been known that the mechanisms of acupuncture in treating obesity are related to nervous and neurohumoral regulation. What is the regulating effect of acupuncture on the function of arcuate nucleus?OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of acupuncture on the function of arcuate nucleus of obese rats, and further investigate central nervous functional mechanism of reducing weight by acupuncture.DESIGN: Randomized controlled study based on the experimental animals.SETTING: Acupuncture institute in second clinical medical college of a university of traditional Chinese medicine, and a population management college.MATERIALS: This experiment was carried out in the Acupuncture Institute of Second Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between April and October 2002. One-month old male SD rats just in ablactation were selected.METHODS: Rats fed with ordinary wholesome rat-feed were in the normal group. The successfully established experimental obese rats models were randomly divided as control group and acupuncture group with 12 rats in each group. Rats in the acupuncture group were given acupuncture treatment for 14 days, and rats in the normal and control groups were put into rat fixation-machine for 15 minutes every day, lasting for 14 days. Body mass, Lee' s index, body lipid, level of central and peripheral leptin and insulin(INS) as well as the frequency of spontaneous discharge of nerve cell in the arcuate nucleus(ARC) of hypothalamus in obese rats were observed with nervous electrophysiological and nervous biochemical technology before and after acupuncture.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Effect of acupuncture on obesity index, fat contents of pericardium, kidney and epididymis of experimental obese rats. ② Effect of acupuncture on the frequency of spontaneous discharge of ARC nerve cell of hypothalamus in obese rats. ③ Effect of acupuncture on the contents of hypothalamic and serum leptin and INS of rats in each groups. ④ Correlation of the frequency of spontaneous discharge of ARC nerve cell of hypothalamus with the level of hypothalamic leptin and INS.RESULTS: The body mass[(517.74±29.35) g], Lee' s index (319.85 ± 3.96) and body fat content of obesity rats [ (13.88 ± 1.32) g] were all significantly higher than those in the normal rats, the differences were significant(P ＜ 0.01); the frequency of spontaneous discharge of nerve cell in ARC of hypothalamus in obese rats [ (3.12 ± 1.92) Hz] were all markedly lower than those of the normal rats[ (8.99 ± 2.71 ) Hz], the differences were significant (P ＜ 0.01 ); the frequency of spontaneous discharge of nerve cell in ARC was negatively correlated with body mass, Lee' s index and body lipid( r = -0. 592, -0. 672, -0. 521 ) . Acupuncture significantly increased the frequency of spontaneous discharge of nerve cell in ARC of hypothalamus in obese rats [(9.75 ±2.02) Hz] as compared with the control group, the differences were significant( P ＜ 0. 01 ).CONCLUSION: The good regulating effect of acupuncture on the function of arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus might be one of mechanisms in the antiobesity of acupuncture.

Objective:To investigate if acupuncture has an inhibitory effect on fatty toxicity and its possible mechanism. Methods: Thirty-four patients with simple obesity were clinically treated with acupuncture for 3 courses. Before and after treatment, body mass index(BMI) and fat percentage(F%) were determined, and serum insulin and adiponectin were measured by enzyme linked immunoassay, blood lipid and sugar by biochemical colorimetry and eight kinds of free fatty acids(FFAs) by high performance liquid chromatography. Twenty normal persons were selected as a control. Results:The total efficacy rate was 88.2%. Acupuncture could increase the decreased insulin sensitivity index(ISI) in the patients(t=-5.103, P=0.000). The correlation of a decrease in F% with an increase in unsaturated fatty acid after acupuncture was of significance(r=0.402, P=0.019) and its correlation with an increase in the ratio between unsaturated fatty acid and saturated fatty acid was also of significance(r=0.348, P=0.044). The correlation between increases in high density lipoprotein and in eicosapentaenoic acid was of significance(r=0.352, P＝0.041). The correlation between a decrease in BMI and an increase in high density lipoprotein was of significance(r=0.357, P=0.038). Adiponectin level significantly rose after acupuncture (compared with pre-treatment, P=0.000). The correlation between a decrease in FFAs and an increase in adiponectin was of significance(r=-0.349, P=0.043). Conclusion: Acupuncture can lower the levels of free fatty acids in the patients and increase their sensitivity to insulin to inhibit the fatty toxicity. The inhibitory effect of acupuncture on fatty toxicity is somewhat related to a rise in adiponectin level.

BACKGROUND:Both acupuncture and moxibustion and drug ale effective methods to treat simple obesity.Whether electroacupuncture is different from sibutramine to affect adipocyte products in obese organisms?OBJECTIVE:To observe the different effects of electroacupuncture and sibutramine on adipocyte produces in obesity rats and to investigate the mechanism of weight reduction by acupuncture and moxibustion.DESIGN:Layering-randomized controlled study.SETTING:Laboratory of Acupuncture and Pharmacology.Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine.MATERIALS:12045-day-old male SD rats were provided by Shanghai Experimental Animal Center.The experiment was in accordance with animal ethics standards.Sibutramine hyrdrochloride capsule was made in Fuling Pharmaceutical Factory of Taiji Group(batch number:X20010279).Electro-acupuncture apparatus(LH402A acupoint neutoelectrical stimulation equipment)was made in Beijing Huawei Chanye Developing Company.METHODS:This study was performed at the Laboratory of Acupuncture and Pharmacology,and Expefimental Animal Center,Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from October 2004 to November 2006.①100 male SD rats underwent high-fat diet.Fifty-four alimentary obesity rats were randomly divided into electroacupuncture group,sibutramine group and obesity group.wim 18 rats in each group.Another 18 rats were regarded as a normal group.②Rats in the electroacupuncture group were given electrical stimulation(2/15 Hz,4 mA)at lateral Housanli and Neiting acupoints,contralateral alternation every other day.Rats were fixed with self-made binding instrument,and rats maintained a consciousness but not an intense struggle.The electricai stimulation lasted for 15 minutes every day,one day was an interval every 6 days.and the electroacupuncture was given for 49 days and 42 times in total.Rats in the sibutramine group were ingragastrically administrated with 0.2 g/L sibutramine hydrochloride(2.0 mg/kg/d).Rats in the control group and obesity groups were fixed the same as electroacupuncture group but not given electrical stimulation.MAIN OUTCoME MEASURES:①Obese marker:To detect body mass,body length,weight reduction rate and body mass/body fat mass,and to measure total cholesterol(TC),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)and triacylglycerol (TG)with biochemical chromatometry;②insulin sensitivity index:To measure fasting blood glucose,insulin and insulin sensitivity index with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay;③adipocyte secreting regulatory substance level:To measure serum resistin,leptin,adiponectin,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6)and its soluble receptor level with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS:Among 120 rats,54 alimentary obesity rat models and 18 normal rats were included in the final analysis.①Obesemarker:Bodymass,bodyfatmass,cholesterol and TG levels in the obesity group were significantly higher than in the normal group(P＜0.01).Body mass,body fat mass,body mass/body fat mass,cholesterol and TG levels in the electroacupuncture group were significantly lower than in the obesity group(P＜0.01).TG level in the sibutramine group was significantly lower than in the obesity group(P＜0.01).Weight reduction rate in the electroacupuncture group was significantly higher than in the sibutramine group(P＜0.01).Body mass/body fat mass in the electroacupuncture group was significantly lower than in the sibutramine group(P＜0.01).②Insulin sensitivity:Blood glucose and serum insulin levels in the obesity group were significantly higher than in the normal group,and insulin sensitivity index was significantly lower than in the normal group(P＜0.01).Blood glucose and insulin levels in the electroacupuncture and sibutramine groups were significantly lower than in the obesity group,but insulin sensitivity index was significantly higher than in the obesity group(P＜0.01).③Adipocyte secreting regulatory substance level:Adiponectin in the electroacupuncture group was significantly higher than in the obesity group (P＜0.01).Resistin and TNF-αin the electroacupuncture group was significantly lower than in the obesity grollp(P＜0.01).Resistin level in the sibutramine group was significantly lower than in the obesity group(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:The effect of electroacupuncture on abnormally secretary products of adipose tissues in obesity rats is superior to the effect of sibutramine.This may be one of important mechanisms of weight reduction by acupuncture and moxibustion,and prevention and cure of obesity and its related diseases.