Journal
ACUPUNCTURE IN MEDICINE
Volume 38, Issue 5, Pages 335-342Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/0964528419901135
Keywords
acarbose; electroacupuncture; free fatty acid; insulin; signal transduction; steroid-induced insulin resistance
Categories
Funding
- Ministry of Science and Technology [MOST 106-2622-E-212-002-CC2]
- Taichung Veterans General Hospital [TCVGH-DYU-107-8301]
- Da-Yeh University [TCVGH-DYU-107-8301, CCGH-DYU-106-001]
- Cheng Ching Hospital [CCGH-DYU-106-001]
- Changhua Christian Hospital in Taiwan
- Da-Yeh University in Taiwan
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Background: Previous studies have reported that electroacupuncture (EA) induces a glucose-lowering effect by improving insulin resistance (IR) and reduces plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels in rats with steroid-induced insulin resistance (SIIR). In addition, EA can activate cholinergic nerves and stimulate endogenous opioid peptides to lower plasma glucose in streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats. The aim of this study was to investigate the glucose-lowering effects of 15 Hz EA at bilateral ST36 in combination with acarbose (ACA). We hypothesized that EA combined with ACA would produce a stronger glucose-lowering effect than ACA alone. Methods: In this study, normal Wistar rats and SIIR rats were randomly divided into two groups: ACA and ACA + EA. To explore the potential mechanisms underlying the glucose-lowering effect, plasma FFA/insulin and insulin transduction signal pathway proteins were assayed. Results: Combined ACA + EA treatment had a greater glucose-lowering effect than ACA alone in normal Wistar rats (-45% +/- 3% vs -19% +/- 3%,p < 0.001) and SIIR model rats (-43% +/- 2% vs -16% +/- 6%,p < 0.001). A significant reduction in plasma FFA levels, improvement in homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) index (-48.9% +/- 4.0%,p < 0.001) and insulin sensitivity index (102% +/- 16.9%,p < 0.001), and significant increases in insulin receptor substrate 1, glucose transporter 4, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma protein expressions in skeletal muscle, were also observed in the ACA + EA group of SIIR rats. Conclusion: Combined EA and ACA therapy had a greater glucose-lowering effect than ACA monotherapy; this combined therapy could be more effective at improving IR in SIIR rats, which may be related to a reduction in plasma FFA levels and an elevation of insulin signaling proteins. Whether this combined therapy has an effect in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients still needs to be explored.
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