Acupuncture-induced fat thickness reduction in different body regions: A case report and review of literature

Figure 1 Ultrasound images. A: Comparative ultrasound images of visceral fat thickness before and after treatment. Ultrasound measurements show a reduction in visceral fat thickness from 118.29 mm pre-treatment (upper image) to 100.09 mm post-treatment (lower image); B: Comparative ultrasound images of right paraumbilical subcutaneous fat thickness before and after treatment. Ultrasound measurements show a reduction in subcutaneous fat thickness from 44.33 mm pre-treatment (upper image) to 32.01 mm post-treatment (lower image).

Figure 2 Hypothesized molecular mechanisms underlying acupuncture-induced regional fat reduction. NE: Norepinephrine; β3-AR: Beta-3 adrenergic receptor; cAMP: Cyclic adenosine monophosphate; PKA: Protein kinase A; HSL: Hormone-sensitive lipase; p-HSL: Phosphorylated hormone-sensitive lipase; UCP1: Uncoupling protein 1; CVAI: Chinese visceral adiposity index; VAT: Visceral adipose tissue; AMPK: AMP-activated protein kinase; TLR4: Toll-like receptor 4; NF-κB: Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells; IL-6: Interleukin-6; TNF-α: Tumor necrosis factor alpha.