Title : Electroacupuncture-mediated sympathetic activation of brown adipose tissue in PCOS-like model
Abstract:
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a metabolic-endocrine disorder driven by adipose dysfunction, lacks therapies targeting its neuroendocrine origins. While low-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) at Guilai (“ST29”) and Sanyinjiao (“SP6”) improves PCOS-associated obesity via white adipose tissue (WAT) modulation, the role of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and its sympathetic regulation remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that EA at Jiaji (“EX-B2”, paravertebral T3-T5)—acupoints anatomically aligned with BAT-innervating sympathetic ganglia—restores metabolic-reproductive homeostasis in PCOS-like rats. EX-B2 EA normalized estrous cyclicity, reduced visceral adiposity, and enhanced BAT thermogenic activity (volume↑, UCP1↑), while 3D neuroimaging revealed sympathetic nerve arborization within BAT. In contrast, ST29/SP6 EA preferentially attenuated WAT inflammation in obese models, underscoring tissue-specific neuromodulation. Mechanistically, EX-B2 EA amplified sympathetic outflow to BAT, driving mitochondrial remodeling and systemic lipid oxidation. Sympathectomy abolished these benefits, confirming intact innervation as essential for BAT functional activation. Conversely, ST29/SP6 EA suppressed WAT-derived proinflammatory cytokines without BAT engagement, highlighting divergent adipose-sympathetic pathways. These findings position EA as a dual-axis intervention: BAT-centric EX-B2 targets sympathetic neuroplasticity to resolve hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance, while WAT-focused ST29/SP6 mitigates obesity-related inflammation.
