Electroacupuncture Prevents Osteoarthritis of High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats

Abstract

<jats:p>The effects of acupuncture on osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis have been demonstrated in vitro and in animal models. However, the potential for acupuncture to mediate protective effects on obese-induced OA has not been examined. Here, we investigated the effects of different acupuncture patterns on OA pathogenesis in high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced obese rats. After 12-week diet-induced obesity, obese rats were treated with three acupuncture protocols for 2 weeks, including ST36, GB34, and ST36+GB34. The results showed that the three acupuncture protocols both prevented obesity-induced cartilage matrix degradation and MMP expression and mitigated obesity-induced systemic and local inflammation but had different regulatory effects on lipid metabolism and gut microbiota disorder of obese-induced OA rats. Furthermore, the three acupuncture protocols increased the microbial diversity and altered the structure of community of feces in obese rats. We found that ST36 and GB34 could inhibit proinflammatory shift in the gut microbiome with an increase in the ratio of Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes and promote the recovery of relative abundance of <jats:italic>Clostridium</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Akkermansia</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Butyricimonas</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Lactococcus</jats:italic>. Although both ST36 and GB34 had an anti-inflammatory effect on serum inflammatory mediators, only the acupuncture protocol with both ST36 and GB34 could effectively inhibit LPS-mediated joint inflammation in obesity rats. Therefore, relieving obesity-related chronic inflammation, lipid metabolism disorder, and gut microbiota disorder may be an important mechanism for acupuncture with ST36 and GB34 to promote OA recovery.</jats:p>

Electroacupuncture Combined With Diet Treatment Has a Therapeutic Effect on Perimenopausal Patients With Abdominal Obesity by Improving the Community Structure of Intestinal Flora

“…As one of the complex ecosystems in the gastrointestinal tract, the intestinal flora is related to metabolism-related diseases and multi-system diseases ( Di Segni et al, 2018 ). Acupuncture was proved to alleviate obesity-related lipid metabolism disorders and intestinal microbiota disorders ( Gao et al, 2020 ; Xie et al, 2020 ). For example, electroacupuncture promoted the diversity of the gut microbiota of obese mice, thus reducing body weight ( Dou et al, 2020 ).…”

Citrus reticulatae pericarpium Extract Decreases the Susceptibility to HFD-Induced Glycolipid Metabolism Disorder in Mice Exposed to Azithromycin in Early Life

“…Butyricimonas is a beneficial bacteria that can produce SCFA to reduce inflammation. Studies have shown that increased relative abundance of Butyricimonas is associated with improved metabolic parameters and insulin resistance in mice (38). Taken together, these results indicate that CRP extract improved the gut microbiome in AZT-treated juvenile mice and improved glycolipid metabolism disorder in adulthood under HFD feeding.…”

The Anti-Inflammatory Actions and Mechanisms of Acupuncture from Acupoint to Target Organs via Neuro-Immune Regulation

“…EA inhibits the pro-inflammatory transformation of intestinal microbiota by increasing the ratio of Bacteroidetes/ Firmicutes, and promotes the recovery of the relative abundance of Clostridium, Ackermann, Butyricimonas, and Lactococcus. 93 EA at ST35 and Ex-LE4 also reduces the expression of MMP-3 and MMP-13 in chondrocytes, regulates cartilage matrix metabolism, reduces degradation of type II collagen, and relieves knee arthritis. 95 The Endocannabinoid System…”

“…The combined effect of two acupoints was found to be better than that of GB34 alone. 93 It was previously reported that serum from TNF-α-treated chondrocytes, treated with EA serum (EAS), significantly reduces IL-1β levels and enhances chondrocyte viability by inhibiting RAS, RAF, MEK1/2, and P-ERK1/2 protein expression. 94 This study used post-acupuncture serum in the treatment regimen.…”

“…Acupuncture at the same acupoints, such as ST36 and GB34, not only down-regulates proinflammatory factors to treat OA but also, with appropriate stimulation, upregulates the expression of macrophage inflammatory factors in the muscles in a muscle atrophy model, which may be related to the type and varying stages of disease. 93,97 Circulatory System…”