Cardioprotective effect of acupuncture in mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy by alleviating cardiac fibrosis and apoptosis.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of acupuncture on glucose control, lipid metabolism, myocardial fibrosis, and the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) in mice with type 2 diabetes. After modelling, mice were divided into three groups: the control, model (DCM), and PC6+ST36 group. Acupuncture was applied at PC6 and ST36 acupoints for 15 min every other day, three times a week for 8 weeks during the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Heart function was assessed by echocardiography and electrocardiogram. Serum glucose, lipid metabolism and ANP were assessed via ELISA. The myocardium was assessed by histology, immunoblotting, RNA-seq and CUT&Tag on the day after all the treatments were finished. Acupuncture at Neiguan and Zusanli reduced abnormal glucose (mean difference of fed glucose decrease from 19.63 mmol/L to 12.62 mmol/L, P=0.008) and improved lipid metabolism (mean difference of TC decrease from 23.70 mmol/L to 17.81 mmol/L, P value is 0.038, TG from 27.14 mmol/L to 18.70 mmol/L, P value is 0.006, LDL from 19.36 mmol/L to 14.35 mmol/L, P value is 0.015, FFA from 578.96 mmol/L to 328.98 mmol/L, P value is 0.0001) in mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy. Both impaired systolic function (mean difference of EF increase from 52.84% to 71.10%, P value is 0.004, FS increase from 26.39% to 39.38%, P value is 0.008) and damaged diastolic function (mean difference of IVRT decrease from 26.50 ms to 16.33 ms, P value is 0.025, E/A ratio increase from 0.91 to 1.22, P value is 0.07) were observed in the DCM group, whereas acupuncture enhanced cardiac function in mice with DCM. Cardiac fibrosis was alleviated in the PC6+ST36 group, accompanied by reduced expression of fibrosis-related genes (Col1a1 family). Moreover, acupuncture inhibited cardiac apoptosis in mice with DCM to some extent. Acupuncture at Neiguan and Zusanli can improve heart function and myocardial hypertrophy by inhibiting cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis in mice with DCM.