ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanism of acupuncture in treating obesity complicated with climacteric syndrome (OCCS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty female OCCS patients were treated by acupuncture, combination of body and auricular acupuncture, according to the treating principle based on syndrome differentiation. The changes in symptoms, signs, obesity index, Kupperman index, vegetative nerve system equilibrium index (Y value), levels of estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), leptin (LP), insulin (INS), nitric oxide (NO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and insulin activation index (IAI) in patients were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The obesity index, Kupperman index, Y value, and levels of LH, FSH, GnRH, LP, and INS increased, while levels of E2, NO, NOS and IAI decreased in OCCS patients. After acupuncture treatment, in the same time of obtaining promising effect in reducing weight, reversing effect was shown in all the above-mentioned parameters (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) .</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture has favorable regulatory effect on Kupperman index, Y value, E2, LH, FSH, GnRH, NO, NOS, LP, INS and IAI in OCCS patients, its effect in improving the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad axis, vegetative nerve function and vasomotor dysfunction, and adjusting the resistance to leptin and insulin may be the important mechanisms.</p>