Fig 1.
Process of establishing the puberal PCOS rats model.
Table 1.
The percentage of offspring at each stage of the estrus cycle during 4th week to 7th week in four groups.
Fig 2.
Morphological changes in rat ovarian tissues in the N, M, EA, and SA groups.
N, normal group; M, model group; EA, electroacupuncture group; SA, sham acupuncture group; CL: Corpus luteum; Arrow: Cystic follicle.
Table 2.
Primer information.
Fig 3.
Changes of body weight and serum levels of metabolic indicators.
a: body weight; b: FBG level; c: serum insulin level; d: serum NPY level; e: serum GHRL level; N, normal group; M, model group; EA, electroacupuncture group; SA, sham acupuncture group; FBG, fasting blood glucose; NPY, neuropeptide Y; GHRL, ghrelin; The values are shown as mean ± SEM. N vs M, * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01; EA vs M, # P < 0.05, # # P < 0.01; SA vs M, ^ P < 0.05, ^ ^ P < 0.01. Eight rats per group were used in each experiment.
Fig 4.
Expression of GAL, GALP, GHRL, NPY, NPY2R and GHSR in the hypothalamus.
a-c: protein expression of GAL, GALP and GHRL in hypothalamus; d-i: mRNA expression of GAL, GALP, GHRL, NPY, GHSR and NPY2R in hypothalamus; N, normal group; M, model group; EA, electroacupuncture group; SA, sham acupuncture group; GAL, galanin; GALP, galanin-like peptide; NPY, neuropeptide Y; GHRL, ghrelin; GHSR, ghrelin receptor; NPY2R, neuropeptide Y2 receptor; The values are shown as mean ± SEM. N vs M, * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01; EA vs M, # P < 0.05, # # P < 0.01; SA vs M, ^ P < 0.05, ^ ^ P < 0.01.
Fig 5.
Expression of GHRL, NPY, NPY2R and GHSR in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) (a-d). N, normal group; M, model group; EA, electroacupuncture group; SA, sham acupuncture group; NPY, neuropeptide Y; GHRL, ghrelin; NPY2R, neuropeptide Y receptor; GHSR, ghrelin receptor; ARC, arcuate nucleus. The values are shown as mean ± SEM. N vs M, * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01; EA vs M, # P < 0.05, # # P < 0.01; SA vs M, ^ P < 0.05, ^ ^ P < 0.01.
Fig 6.
Co-expression of GHSR and Kisspeptin, as well as NPY2R and GnRH in ARC.
N, normal group; M, model group; EA, electroacupuncture group; SA, sham acupuncture group; GHSR, ghrelin receptor; NPY2R, neuropeptide Y2 receptor; ARC, arcuate nucleus.
Fig 7.
Protein expression of kisspeptin, GALP, GAL and GHRL in the pancreas (a-d). N, normal group; M, model group; EA, electroacupuncture group; SA, sham acupuncture group; GAL, galanin; GALP, galanin-like peptide; GHRL, ghrelin; The values are shown as mean ± SEM. N vs M, * P < 0.05.