Effects of Acupuncture on Glucagon-like Peptide-1 in Model Rats with Type 2 Diabetes

LIU Yan; ZHANG Wenkui; SUN Zhi

Abstract：Objective:To observe the effect of acupuncture on the contents of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in serum and the expression of GLP-1 gene in small intestine and the GLP-1 receptor gene in pancreas-es of model rats with type 2 diabetes,and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture in treating type 2 dia-betes. Methods:The rats model with type 2 diabetes were randomly divided into model group and acupunc-ture group,while the healthy rats were as the normal control. In the acupuncture group,zu san li(ST 36), san yin jiao(SP 6) and yi shu(EX-B3) were needled. The expression of intestinal GLP-1 gene and pan-creatic GLP-1 receptor gene was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction ,and the con-tents of serum GLP-1 was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results:The content of GLP-1 in serum of the acupuncture group were significantly higher than that of the model group(P=0.000), and lower than that of the normal group (P=0.000). The differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). On the relative expression of GLP-1 in the small intestine,the acupuncture group was significantly higher than the normal group,and the normal group was higher than the model group. On the expression of GLP-1 receptor gene in pancreases,the acupuncture group was significantly lower than the normal group,and higher than the model group. Conclusion:Acupuncture can improve the concentration of serum GLP-1 in type 2 di-abetic rats and the expression of intestinal GLP-1 gene and GLP-1 receptor gene,which could be the cellu-lar and molecular mechanism of acupuncture in treating diabetes.