Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (5): 551-560.DOI: 10.12300/j.issn.1674-5817.2025.058

• Special Topic on Laboratory Animals for Traditional Chinese Medicine • Previous Articles     Next Articles

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

LUO Yifan1(), ZHANG Zhenwei1, MEI Lu1, SHI Yeping1, XING Yitong1, ZHANG Zeqi2,3,4, LI Chuxin2,3,4, HAN Chunxia2,3,4, YANG Pingshun2,3,4()(), CHEN Qiusheng1()()   

  1. 1.College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210000, China
    2.Shenzhen Rongda Biotechnology Co. , Ltd. , Shenzhen 518000, China
    3.Dongguan Rongda Biotechnology Co. , Ltd. , Dongguan 523808, China
    4.Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Natural Plant-Derived Lead Compounds for Cosmetics, Shenzhen 518000, China
  • Received:2025-04-18 Revised:2025-06-05 Online:2025-10-25 Published:2025-10-23
  • Correspondence to: YANG Pingshun, CHEN Qiusheng

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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

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