• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.168-175
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• 2000

Stimulation of the auricle is known to be effective in reducing obesity. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether stimulating a specific auricular acupuncture point is effective on suppression of appetite. Cholesystokinin (CCK) is known to induce a powerful feeding response after central administration and particularly abundant in the cerebral cortex. In food-deprived rats exhibiting a strong drive for feeding, decreased CCK release was markedly detected in the cerebral cortex of the brain. Needling the fasted rats on the specific auricular region increased the CCK level of the cerebral cortex. In conclusion, stimulating the specific auricular points increases CCK-expression in the cerebral cortex of the fasted rats and may be useful for controlling obesity.