Effect of electroacupuncture at “Fēnglóng” ( ST 40) on hyperlipemia in rats and its mechanism

Abstract

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) at “Fēnglóng”▪ ST 40) for hyperlipemia(HLP) in rats. MethodsForty health SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group (group A), a high fat forage group (group B) and a high fat forage + treatment group (group C), a high fat forage + normal forage group (group D) and a high fat forage + normal forage + treatment group (group E), eight rats in each group. EA was applied at “Fēnglóng” (▪ ST 40) of the rats in group C and group E, once daily. After treatment of 30 days, plasma lipid levels in the rats, including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were detected. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western Blotting were applied to detect the gene expression changes of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), liver X receptor alpha (LXR-α) and retinoid X receptor alpha (RXR-α) in liver tissue of rats. ResultsCompared with group A, contents of TC, LDL-C were significantly elevated in group B and group D (all P<0.01); compared with group B, above indices were significantly decreased in group D (all P<0.01). After the treatment of EA at “Fenglóng” (▪ ST 40), contents of TC, LDL-C were significantly decreased (all P<0.01), and contents of TG, HDL-C did not change significantly (all P>0.05). Compared with group A, mRNA and protein contents of ABCA1, PPARα, LXR-α and RXR-α were decreased significantly in group B and group D (all P<0.01). But compared with group B, the above indices were decreased in group D. After the treatment of EA, mRNA and protein contents of ABCA1, PPARα, RXR-α and LXR-α significantly increased (all P<0.05). ConclusionEA at “Fēnglóng” (▪ ST 40) can decrease contents of blood TC, LDL-C in rats of hyperlipemia and up-regulate the gene expression of ABCA1, PPARα, LXR-α and RXR-α in liver, so as to promote reverse cholesterol transport, with a certain therapeutic effect on hyperlipemia.