Influence of Acupuncture on Leptin, Ghrelin, Insulin and Cholecystokinin in Obese Women: A Randomised, Sham-Controlled Preliminary Trial

Abstract

Background Obesity is an energy balance problem caused by overeating. Obesity treatment includes diet, exercise, behaviour treatment, pharmacotherapy and surgery; in addition, acupuncture is also an option. Objective To investigate the effect of acupuncture on weight loss and whether a brief acupuncture treatment of 5 weeks can change circulating levels of leptin, ghrelin, insulin and cholecystokinin (CCK) in obese women. Methods 40 women with a body mass index (BMI)>30 kg/m 2 were equally randomised to either an acupuncture group or a sham (nonpenetrating) acupuncture group and received treatment at LI4, HT7, ST36, ST44 and SP6 bilaterally. Both groups had two sessions of 20 min/week for a total of 10 sessions. Serum insulin, leptin, plasma ghrelin and CCK levels were measured by ELISA. Results Acupuncture treatment decreased insulin and leptin levels and induced weight loss, together with a decrease in BMI compared with sham acupuncture. Furthermore, between-group analyses demonstrated increases in plasma ghrelin and CCK levels in subjects who received acupuncture treatment. Conclusion These fi ndings suggest that acupuncture may help to regulate weight owing to its benefi cial effects on hormones such as insulin, leptin, ghrelin and CCK in obese subjects even after a few weeks of treatment. INTRODUCTIONObesity is a common health problem faced mostly in developed countries such as USA, Canada, Australia, and European countries but rates are increasing for developing countries as well. 1 The risk of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, cardiovascular disease and sleep apnoea are greater for overweight (body mass index (BMI)>25 kg/m 2 ) and obese (BMI>30 kg/m 2 ) individuals.2 There are various treatment options in practice such as diet therapy, regulation of physical activities, behaviour treatment, pharmacotherapy, surgical procedures and acupuncture.Acupuncture is one of the treatment options in traditional Chinese medicine for a wide array of conditions and gaining attention in modern medicine. Acupuncture is thought to have been practised for several thousand years in China.3 Nowadays, even modern clinics use it for the treatment of various conditions such as obesity. NIH consensus conference statement (1998) on acupuncture stated that acupuncture shows promising results for several conditions. 4Classic acupuncture points targeted in the treatment of obesity are Neiguan (P6),5 Besides these body points, there are also two points, generally targeted for appetite control, on the ear. In addition, to these generally recognised acupoints, an acupuncturist may use different points depending on his/her own experience. 4 The evidence for the effect of acupuncture on weight loss is mixed: readers can fi nd both supporting 6 7 and refuting [8][9][10] data.Ghrelin is produced by P/D1 cells in the stomach, 11 12 increases with hunger and decreases with satiety.13 Leptin, one of the products of adipose tissue, passes through the blood-brain barrier and reduces appetite.14 Ghrelin and leptin can be called coun...

Effect of self-acupressure on fasting blood sugar (FBS) and insulin level in type 2 diabetes patients: a randomized clinical trial

“…This longitudinal study indicated this method is suitable and effective for the prevention of hyperlipidemia and neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes; results of the study also showed this intervention is suitable for the improvement of kidney functions in such patients (26). However, results of a study, showed that bilateral acupressure at LI-4, HT-7, ST-36, ST-44, and SP-6 points could reduce the level of insulin in females with obesity (20). …”

“…Figure 1 shows the acupressure points. The total time of acupressure was 20 minutes (5 minutes at each point) in 10 seconds of pressure - and 2 seconds of rest periods (20, 21). Intervention was carried out every day at 10:00 a.m. for 3 weeks.…”

Acupuncture in the Treatment of Obesity: A Narrative Review of the Literature

“…Both manual 72 83 and auricular acupuncture 74 as well as EA 79 83 exert a beneficial effect on leptin resistance and cause a significant decrease in plasma leptin levels in obese patients compared with sham 72 74 or diet alone. 79 In addition, manual 72 and auricular 74 acupuncture significantly increase ghrelin levels in comparison with sham, while EA seems to cause a remarkable increase in β endorphin 79 and adiponectin 83 in parallel to weight loss.…”

Plasma Nesfatin-1 Level in Obese Patients after Acupuncture: A Randomised Controlled Trial

“…9 Although the mechanism by which acupuncture helps to reduce obesity is not clear, several studies suggest that it increases the neural activity associated with the ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus, raises the tone of the smooth muscle of the stomach and decreases circulating leptin and insulin levels. 10 Since nesfatin-1 is an anorexigenic protein newly associated with loss of appetite, we hypothesised that it might be involved in the effects of acupuncture on obesity. In this study, we compared plasma nesfatin-1 levels of obese patients and normal weight controls, investigated the relationship between nesfatin-1 level and anthropometric and metabolic parameters in obese patients and examined the change in plasma nesfatin-1 level after acupuncture treatment in obese patients.…”