Acupuncture improved lipid metabolism by regulating intestinal absorption in mice

Abstract

BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in which abnormal lipid metabolism plays an important role in disease progression, has become a pandemic. Abnormal lipid metabolism, for example an increased fat intake, has been thought to be an initial factor leading to NAFLD. The small intestine is the main site of dietary lipid absorption. A number of clinical trials have shown that acupuncture has positive effects in the regulation of lipid metabolism, which is closely associated with the progression of NAFLD. We therefore hypothesized that, acupuncture can improve the conditions of NAFLD by regulating intestinal absorption of lipid. AIM To study the role of acupuncture treatment in the improvement of metabolic syndrome secondary to NAFLD by mouse model. METHODS 8-wk-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a methionine- and choline-deficient diet for 3 wk. Then, all mice were separated randomly into acupoints group (AG) or non-acupoints group (NG) with high fat diet feeding. Needling treatment was performed at Zu san li, Guan yuan and Yong quan acupoints as acupuncture treatment to AG mice while non-acupoints place to NG mice. Finally, mice were anesthetized with an injection of ketamine-medetomidine and euthanized by exsanguination. RESULTS An apparent improvement of obesity was found in AG mice after acupuncture treatment. In AG mice, the body weight was much lower (22.6 ± 1.2 g vs 28.1 ± 1.0 g, P < 0.005) in comparison to NG mice. The length of small intestine in AG mice was significantly shorter (26.7 ± 2.3 cm vs 32.7 ± 2.7 cm, P < 0.005). A large amount of chyme was observed in the lumen of the AG small intestine. The expression of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein C2 was downregulated. Triacylglycerols (TGs), total cholesterol and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels of the small intestinal tissue were significantly higher in AG mice, but the serum TGs and NEFA levels were reduced in AG mice. CONCLUSION These results indicate that acupuncture at Zu san li, Guan yuan and Yong quan suppressed lipid absorption by downregulating the expression of apolipoproteins in the small intestine.

Preventive Effects of l-Glutamine on High-Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Disorders Linking with Regulation of Intestinal Barrier Integrity, Hepatic Lipid Metabolism, and Gut Microbiota in Rats

“…After digestion of dietary fat, the predominant lipid across the apical membrane and then enters the enterocyte via both passive diffusion and protein-facilitated fatty acid transfer . A larger number of proteins, including CD36, I-FABP, and FATP4, play a crucial role in promoting fatty aicd transport. , After uptake by enterocytes, fatty acids are transported into the endoplasmic reticulum by MTTP and then packaged as chylomicron (CM) with apolipoproteins, such as ApoB, ApoA-I, and ApoA-IV. , Studies had demonstrated that suppressing intestinal fat absorption exerts a potential effect on preventing and treating obesity. , Therefore, we explored the lipid absorption-related proteins and we hypothesized that Gln can reduce intestinal fatty acid absorption considering previous findngs on the beneficial effects of Gln supplementation in several clinical conditions. Surprisingly, our study showed that Gln administration further upregulated the protein levels of ApoB48, I-FABP, and CD36, indicating that more fatty acids were absorbed and transported into epitheliums.…”

“…9,30 Studies had demonstrated that suppressing intestinal fat absorption exerts a potential effect on preventing and treating obesity. 31,32 Therefore, we explored the lipid absorption-related proteins and we hypothesized that Gln can reduce intestinal fatty acid absorption considering previous findngs on the beneficial effects of Gln supplementation in several clinical conditions. Surprisingly, our study showed that Gln administration further upregulated the protein levels of ApoB48, I-FABP, and CD36, indicating that more fatty acids were absorbed and transported into epitheliums.…”

Therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of NAFLD: A promising drug Potentilla discolor Bunge

“…Electroacupuncture combined with lifestyle control can effectively treat patients with NAFLD by reducing serum leptin levels, increasing the sensitivity of hepatocytes to insulin and improving IR ameliorating blood glycolipid metabolism and reducing hepatic fat, waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio 64 , 65 , 66 . In addition, acupuncture has been shown to ameliorate NAFLD by regulating lipid metabolism 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , improving IR 71 and ER stress 70 , 72 , 73 , alleviating oxidative stress 68 , 74 , inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines 68 , 69 , 75 , and alleviating steatosis, necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration of liver tissue in NAFLD rat model. Furthermore, acupuncture can alleviate bullous steatosis of liver tissue 76 , 77 , 78 , and the expansion and disorder of rough endoplasmic reticulum 73 in NAFLD rat model.…”

Research Progress on the Mechanism of Acupuncture Treatment for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

“…In addition, Huang et al [ 30 ] assessed 102 patients with obesity with NAFLD treated by electroacupuncture and found that the electroacupuncture of “Feng long” (ST40) and “Zu san li” (ST36) could improve the hemorheological indices of patients, decrease TC and TG levels, and produce lipolysis, thus regulating their metabolic state. Han et al [ 31 ] assessed the effects of acupuncture “Zu san li” (ST36), “Guan yuan” (CV4), and “Yong quan” (KI1) in the context of a NAFLD mouse model with deficient methionine and choline, demonstrating that acupuncture could reduce the accumulation of abdominal fat, inhibit the absorption of lipids in the small intestine, and downregulate the level of blood lipids in mice, thus proving that acupuncture could reduce the accumulation of abdominal fat in the case of abnormal liver metabolism and may have different beneficial effects on improving lipid metabolism. The above evidence demonstrates that acupuncture treatment can not only regulate the lipid metabolism in the liver but also affect the inhibition of lipid absorption in the small intestine to adjust the lipid metabolism of the body to improve NAFLD; however, the mechanisms underpinning “the inhibition of lipid absorption in the small intestine” remain unclear.…”