Telocytes-Mediated Effects and Mechanisms of Anointing and Massage Therapy Using Oligopeptide-Herbal Medicine Composite Against Obesity in Rats

doi:10.12300/j.issn.1674-5817.2025.058

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the weight loss efficacy and mechanisms of oligopeptide-herbal medicine composite, and to provide new approaches for obesity treatment. Methods Twenty-three SPF female SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n=3) and modeling group (n=20). The control group was fed an ordinary diet for 6 consecutive weeks, and the modeling group was fed a high-fat diet for 6 consecutive weeks to establish a simple obesity rat model. After successful modeling, the modeling group was randomly divided into model group (n=10) and treatment group (n=10). The treatment group started anoint-and-massage therapy with oligopeptide-herbal medicine composite (3 g per rat per time,once a day, 20 min each time), which was recorded as day 1. The control group and model group were not treated with oligopeptide-herbal medicine composite but received the same massage, and continued to be fed ordinary feed and high-fat feed respectively. Ten rats in the model group and ten in the treatment group were each divided into 3 groups, with 3, 3, and 4 rats in each group. On days 3, 6, and 9 after treatment, the rats in the three groups were weighed and cardiac blood collection was performed after isoflurane respiratory anesthesia. After euthanasia by cardiac bloodletting, abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (aSAT) and perirenal white adipose tissue (pWAT) samples were collected and weighed. Serum triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were measured. Image J software was used to measure aSAT thickness and the diameter and area of perirenal white adipocytes and abdominal subcutaneous adipocytes. Immunofluorescence technique was used to observe the number of telocytes (TCs), cell junctions and exosomes per unit area of aSAT. Transmission electron microscopy was used to measure the length of telopodes (Tps) of dermal and subcutaneous TCs in abdominal skin, and to observe the distribution of exosome vesicles, rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and cell junctions. Results Compared with the control group, the body weight of rats in the modeling group increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, rats in the model group showed a significant increase in serum TG level, a significant decrease in HDL-C level, and a significant increase in pWAT mass (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the treatment group showed a significantly increased rate of body weight reduction, significantly decreased pWAT mass, significantly decreased serum TG level, and significantly increased HDL-C level (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the treatment group showed significant reductions in aSAT thickness, as well as cell diameter and area in both aSAT and pWAT (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the treatment group showed significantly increased number of TCs per unit area of aSAT, number of exosomes from TCs in aSAT, and Tps length (all P<0.05). The treatment group showed an increasing trend in the numbers of mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and cell junctions in TCs. Conclusion Oligopeptide-herbal medicine composite applied via anoint-and-massage therapy effectively improves obesity-related symptoms such as dyslipidemia and fat accumulation in obese rats by regulating TCs and their intercellular communication.

Key words: Telocytes, Oligopeptide-herbal medicine composite, Obesity, Rats, Anoint and massage

CLC Number:

Q95-33

LUO Yifan,ZHANG Zhenwei,MEI Lu,et al. Telocytes-Mediated Effects and Mechanisms of Anointing and Massage Therapy Using Oligopeptide-Herbal Medicine Composite Against Obesity in Rats[J]. Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine, 2025, 45(5): 551-560. DOI: 10.12300/j.issn.1674-5817.2025.058.

Figures/Tables 4

Figure 1 Simple obesity model induced by high-fat diet in ratsNote： A， Changes in body weight of rats in the control group （CG） and the obesity modeling group （OG） during the modeling process； B， Serum triglyceride （TG） levels in the control group and the model group （MG）； C， Serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） levels in the control group and the model group； D-E， Perirenal white adipose tissue （pWAT）and its weight of CG and MG rats， where the D are the representative comparison figures of perirenal white adipose tissue and E represents the perirenal white adipose tissue weight of CG and MG rats. *P<0.05， **P<0.01， ****P<0.000 1.

Figure 2 Anointing and massage with oligopeptide-herbal medicine composite accelerates lipid metabolism in ratsNote： A， Perirenal white adipose tissue （pWAT） of model group （MG） and treatment group （TMT） rats； B， Changes in perirenal white adipose tissue weight of model group and treatment group rats； C， HE staining of perirenal white adipose tissue of model group and treatment group rats； D， Changes in perirenal adipocyte diameter of each group； E， Changes in perirenal adipocyte area of each group； F， HE staining of abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue （aSAT） of model group and treatment group rats； G， Changes in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness of each group； H， Changes in abdominal subcutaneous adipocyte diameter of each group； I， Changes in abdominal subcutaneous adipocyte area of each group； J， Changes in serum triglyceride （TG） of model group and treatment group rats； K， Changes in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） of model group and treatment group rats； L， Changes in body-weight loss rate of model group and treatment group rats. Day 3， Day 6， Day 9 represent the 3rd， 6th， 9th day of treatment， respectively； *P<0.05， **P<0.01， ***P<0.001， ****P<0.000 1. Scale bars in C and F indicate 100 μm.

Figure 3 Effect of anointing and massage with oligopeptide-herbal medicine composite on telocytesNote： A， Immunofluorescence characterization of telocytes （TCs， indicated by the white arrows） in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue （A1， A2） and perirenal white adipose tissue （A3， A4） of model group （MG） and treatment group （TMT） rats； B， Changes in the number of TCs per unit area of abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue of the model group and the treatment group； C， Changes in the number of TCs in perirenal white adipose tissue of the model group and the treatment group； D， Telopodes （Tps， indicated by the black arrows） in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue of the model group and the treatment group rats as shown in the transmission electron microscope images； E， Tps length of TCs in the model group and the treatment group； *P<0.05， **P<0.01； Scale bar in A indicates 50 μm and in D indicates 2 μm.

Figure 4 Effect of anointing and massage with oligopeptide-herbal medicine composite on subcellular organelles and intercellular junctions of telocytesNote： A， Immunofluorescence images show the gap junctions （indicated by white arrows） labeled with connexin 43 （Cx43） in the perirenal white adipose tissue （the first row） and the abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue （the second row） of model group （MG） and treatment group （TMT） rats； B， Transmission electron micrographs of TCs （white triangles） and exosome vesicles （black triangles）， mitochondria （black wavy arrows）， cell junctions （black arrows） and rough endoplasmic reticulum （white five-pointed star）； C， The number comparison of exosomes secreted by TCs in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue between the model and treatment groups； *P<0.05； Scale bar in A indicates 50 μm and in B indicates 1 μm.

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