Clinical Observation of Adiponectin in Inhibiting Fatty Toxicity by Acupuncture

Objective: To investigate if acupuncture has an inhibitory effect on fatty toxicity and its possible mechanism.Methods: Thirty-four patients with simple obesity were clinically treated with acupuncture for 3 courses. Before and after treatment, body mass index(BMI) and fat percentage (F%) were determined, and serum insulin and adiponectin were measured by enzyme linked immunoassay, blood lipid and sugar by biochemical colorimetry and eight kinds of free fatty acids (FFAs) by high performance liquid chromatography. Twenty normal persons were selected as a control.Results: The total efficacy rate was 88.2%. Acupuncture could increase the decreased insulin sensitivity index(ISI) in the patients(t=−5.103,P=0.000). The correlation of a decrease in F% with an increase in unsaturated fatty acid after acupuncture was of significance (r=0.402,P=0.019) and its correlation with an increase in the ratio between unsaturated fatty acid and saturated fatty acid was also of significance (r=0.348,P=0.044). The correlation between increases in high density lipoprotein and in eicosapentaenoic acid was of significance (r=0.352,p=0.041). The correlation between a decrease in BMI and an increase in high density lipoprotein was of significance (r=0.357),P=0.038). Adiponectin level significantly rose after acupuncture (compared with pre-treatment,P=0.000). The correlation between a decrease in FFAs and an increase in adiponectin was of significance (r=−0.349,P=0.043).Conclusion: Acupuncture can lower the levels of free fatty acids in the patients and increase their sensitivity to insulin to inhibit the fatty toxicity. The inhibitory effect of acupuncture on fatty toxicity is somewhat related to a rise in adiponectin level.