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Enhanced insulin sensitivity and acute regulation of metabolic genes and signaling pathways after a single electrical or manual acupuncture session in female insulin-resistant rats

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An Erratum to this article was published on 14 November 2014

Abstract

Aim

To compare the effect of a single session of acupuncture with either low-frequency electrical or manual stimulation on insulin sensitivity and molecular pathways in the insulin-resistant dihydrotestosterone-induced rat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) model. Both stimulations cause activation of afferent nerve fibers. In addition, electrical stimulation causes muscle contractions, enabling us to differentiate changes induced by activation of sensory afferents from contraction-induced changes.

Materials and Methods

Control and PCOS rats were divided into no-stimulation, manual-, and electrical stimulation groups and insulin sensitivity was measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp. Manually stimulated needles were rotated 180° ten times every 5 min, or low-frequency electrical stimulation was applied to evoke muscle twitches for 45 min. Gene and protein expression were analyzed by real-time PCR and Western blot.

Results

The glucose infusion rate (GIR) was lower in PCOS rats than in controls. Electrical stimulation was superior to manual stimulation during treatment but both methods increased GIR to the same extent in the post-stimulation period. Electrical stimulation decreased mRNA expression of Adipor2, Adrb1, Fndc5, Erk2, and Tfam in soleus muscle and increased ovarian Adrb2 and Pdf. Manual stimulation decreased ovarian mRNA expression of Erk2 and Sdnd. Electrical stimulation increased phosphorylated ERK levels in soleus muscle.

Conclusions

One acupuncture session with electrical stimulation improves insulin sensitivity and modulates skeletal muscle gene and protein expression more than manual stimulation. Although electrical stimulation is superior to manual in enhancing insulin sensitivity during stimulation, they are equally effective after stimulation indicating that it is activation of sensory afferents rather than muscle contraction per se leading to the observed changes.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Genomics Core Facility at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, for the use of equipment and support. The genomics facility was funded by a grant from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. This work was supported by the Swedish Medical Research Council (Project No. 2008-72VP-15445-01A and K2012-55X-15276-08-3); Wilhelm and Martina Lundgren’s Science Fund; the Hjalmar Svensson Foundation; the Adlerbert Research Foundation; the Åke Wiberg Foundation (Project No. 226441413); The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg; and the Swedish federal government under the LUA/ALF agreement ALFFGBG-136481.

Conflict of interest

Anna Benrick, Manuel Maliqueo, Julia Johansson, Miao Sun, Xiaoke Wu, Louise Mannerås-Holm, and Elisabet Stener-Victorin declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and animal rights disclosure

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the any of the authors.

Statement of informed consent

We would like to mention that there are no patients in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 434, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden

    Anna Benrick, Manuel Maliqueo, Julia Johansson, Miao Sun & Elisabet Stener-Victorin

  2. Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden

    Louise Mannerås-Holm

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, 150040, China

    Miao Sun, Xiaoke Wu & Elisabet Stener-Victorin

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  1. Anna Benrick
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Correspondence to Elisabet Stener-Victorin.

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Benrick, A., Maliqueo, M., Johansson, J. et al. Enhanced insulin sensitivity and acute regulation of metabolic genes and signaling pathways after a single electrical or manual acupuncture session in female insulin-resistant rats. Acta Diabetol 51, 963–972 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00592-014-0645-4

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