Data from: Electroacupuncture mimics exercise-induced changes in skeletal muscle gene expression in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

<p class="1stparatext">Context: Autonomic nervous system activation mediates the increase in whole-body glucose uptake in response to electroacupuncture but the mechanisms are largely unknown.</p> <p class="1stparatext">Objective: To identify the molecular mechanisms underlying electroacupuncture-induced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle in insulin-resistant overweight/obese women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).</p> <p class="1stparatext">Design/Participants: In a case-control study, skeletal muscle biopsies were collected from 15 women with PCOS and 14 controls before and after electroacupuncture. Gene expression and methylation was analyzed using Illumina BeadChips arrays.</p> <p class="1stparatext">Results: A single bout of electroacupuncture restores metabolic and transcriptional alterations and induces epigenetic changes in skeletal muscle. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 180 unique genes (<i>q </i>&lt; 0.05) whose expression was changed by electroacupuncture, with 95% of the changes towards a healthier phenotype. We identified DNA methylation changes at 304 unique sites (<i>q </i>&lt; 0.20), and these changes correlated with altered expression of 101 genes (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Among the 50 most upregulated genes in response to electroacupuncture, 38% were also upregulated in response to<b> </b>exercise. We identified a subset of genes that were selectively altered by electroacupuncture in women with PCOS. For example, <i>MSX1 </i>and <i>SRNX1 </i>were decreased in muscle tissue of women with PCOS and were increased by electroacupuncture and exercise. siRNA-mediated silencing of these two genes in cultured myotubes decreased glycogen synthesis, supporting a role for these genes in glucose homeostasis.</p> <p class="1stparatext">Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence that electroacupuncture normalizes gene expression in skeletal muscle in a manner similar to acute exercise. Electroacupuncture might therefore be a useful way of assisting those who have difficulties performing exercise.</p>