Repeated Electroacupuncture ? An Effective Treatment for Hyperglycemia in a Rat Model

The effect of electroacupuncture (EA) in lowering blood glucose (BG) in eight fasted male obese Zucker diabetic rats aged 21-24 weeks was investigated. Group 1 (n= 4) received no EA and Group 2 (n= 4) received EA at the Zhongwan and the Guanyuan acupoints on Days 1, 3, 6, 8 and 10. The rat’s BG was measured at 10 and 20 minutes after its nose had been inserted into the nose cone of an anesthetic apparatus; then, EA was applied for 30 minutes, and BG was measured again. At the study’s end, the animals were injected with sodium pentobarbitone (60 mg/ml, i.p.), and blood and white adipose tissue were collected. On statistical analysis, Group 2 showed a significant decrease in mean BG at 20 (baseline) and 50 minutes on Days 8 and 10 compared to Days 1 and 3, but Group 1 did not. For Group 2, the baseline BG and the change in BG over 30 minutes were significantly lower for Days 8 and 10 compared to Days 1, 3 and 6, but not for Group 1. No significant differences were noted between the Groups in serum insulin, glucose, insulin-to-glucose ratio, adiponectin, leptin, adiponectin-to-leptin ratio and white adipose tissue.