Three-dimensional Visualization of Electroacupuncture-induced Activation of Brown Adipose Tissue Via Sympathetic Innervation in PCOS Rats

Overview

Journal Chin Med

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Biomedical Engineering

Date 2022 Apr 19

PMID 35436959

Authors

Hongru Gao

Xiaoyu Tong

Wei Hu

Yicong Wang

Kuinyu Lee

Xiaoqing Xu

Jiemei Shi

Zhenle Pei

Wenhan Lu

Yuning Chen

Ruonan Zhang

Zheyi Wang

Ziyu Wang

Chengzhi Han

Yu Wang

Yi Feng

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Low-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to ameliorate obesity and reproductive dysfunctions in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and further explorations in PCOS-like rats showed that EA could affect white adipose tissue. However, the function and neuromodulation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in PCOS and after EA treatment have remained unknown. The present study focused on the role of BAT in PCOS-like rats and its relationship with EA and characterized the three-dimensional (3D) innervation of BAT associated with activation molecules.

Methods: Female rats (21 days old) were implanted with dihydrotestosterone or fed with a high fat diet to establish PCOS-like and obesity models, respectively, and then EA treatment at "Guilai" (ST 29) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) was carried out for 4 weeks. In the present study, morphological analysis, 3D imaging, molecular biology, and other experimental techniques were used to study the sympathetic nerves and activity of BAT.

Results: PCOS-like rats showed both obvious weight gain and reproductive dysfunction, similar to what was seen in obese rats except for the absence of reproductive dysfunction. The body weight gain was mainly caused by an increase in white adipose tissue, and there was an abnormal decrease in BAT. Because both the lipid metabolism and reproductive disorders could be improved with bilateral EA at "Guilai" (ST 29) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6), especially the restoration of BAT, we further investigated the neuromodulation and inflammation in BAT and identified the sympathetic marker tyrosine hydroxylase as one of the key factors of sympathetic nerves. Modified adipo-clearing technology and 3D high-resolution imaging showed that crooked or dispersed sympathetic nerves, but not the twisted vasculature, were reconstructed and associated with the activation of BAT and are likely to be the functional target for EA treatment.

Conclusion: Our study highlights the significant role of BAT and its sympathetic innervations in PCOS and in EA therapy.

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