[Mechanism and protocol optimization of acupuncture in treatment of obesity based on sympathetic nerve system]

The physiological function of adipose tissue is dominated by the sympathetic nerve system (SNS), but obesity and other diseases may cause the abnormality of the SNS signaling pathway. Acupuncture has been proved to be an effective the-rapy to improve the function of SNS in adipose tissue. Based on the physiological and pathological significance of SNS, this paper reviewed the molecular pathways in which acupuncture directly or indirectly regulated the function of SNS in adipose tissue. As the mechanism of electroacupuncture in regulating autonomic nerves was continuously illuminated, the adjustment of acupuncture mode, such as selection of acupoints in different nerve segments and adjustment of stimulation parameters of electroacupuncture, presumedly induced different content ratios of neurotransmitters released by SNS efferent axons, including noradrenaline and neuropeptide Y, thereby producing different effects on weight loss. Therefore, the specific connections between various acupuncture modes and neurotransmitters released by SNS enriched the intrinsic nerve coding of acupoints, thus optimizing the acupoint selection protocol for the treatment of obesity.