Electroacupuncture promoted intestinal defensins and rescued the dysbiotic cecal microbiota of high-fat diet-induced obese mice

Obesity is currently one of the most important challenges to public health worldwide. Acupuncture has been widely used to treat obesity. However, whether acupuncture regulates intestinal innate immunity via intestinal microbiota against obesity remains to be elucidated. In this study, electroacupuncture (EA) effectively reduced body weight and fat accumulation in obese mice persistently fed a high-fat diet. Full-length 16S rDNA sequencing showed dysbiotic microbiota in the cecum of obese mice. The composition and function of the cecal microbiota of obese mice were markedly restored after EA treatment. After 21 d of EA intervention, the expression of defensin alpha 5 (Defa5) was restored to healthy controls, whereas fat digestion and absorption genes including fabp1 were markedly decreased in the jejunum of obese mice. The Defa5 levels were positively correlated with the family Lachnospiraceae and negatively correlated with obesity indexes. EA also reduced tissue inflammation, ameliorated misaligned glucose tolerance, and inhibited key genes for intestinal lipid absorption. In summary, EA exerted an anti-obesity effect by promoting intestinal defensins, rescuing dysbiotic cecal microbiota, and reducing lipid absorption in a synergistic mode. We present for the first time the key role of alpha defensins in the relationship between gut microbiota and disease during electroacupuncture treatment of obesity. The mucosal innate immunity seems to have a stronger ability to shape the microbiota than dietary factors.