Ursolic acid alleviates lipid accumulation by activating the AMPK signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro

2020 ◽  
Vol 85 (11) ◽  
pp. 3998-4008
Author(s):  
Jing Cheng ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
Yaojie Liu ◽  
Dong Liu ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Ursolic Acid ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Ampk Signaling

scholarly journals Betatrophin knockdown induces beiging and mitochondria biogenesis of white adipocytes

2020 ◽  
Vol 245 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe-Zhen Liao ◽  
Xiao-Yan Qi ◽  
Ya-Di Wang ◽  
Jiao-Yang Li ◽  
Qian-Qian Gu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Ampk Signaling ◽  
White Adipocytes ◽  
Beige Adipocytes ◽  
Beige Fat ◽  
Mitochondria Biogenesis ◽  
Paracrine Actions ◽  
White Fat

Remodeling of energy-storing white fat into energy-consuming beige fat has led to a promising new approach to alleviate adiposity. Several studies have shown adipokines can induce white adipose tissue (WAT) beiging through autocrine or paracrine actions. Betatrophin, a novel adipokine, has been linked to energy expenditure and lipolysis but not clearly clarified. Here, we using high-fat diet-induced obesity to determine how betatrophin modulate beiging and adiposity. We found that betatrophin-knockdown mice displayed less white fat mass and decreased plasma TG and NEFA levels. Consistently, inhibition of betatrophin leads to the phenotype change of adipocytes characterized by increased mitochondria contents, beige adipocytes and mitochondria biogenesis-specific markers both in vivo and in vitro. Of note, blocking AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway is able to abolish enhanced beige-like characteristics in betatrophin-knockdown adipocytes. Collectively, downregulation of betatrophin induces beiging in white adipocytes through activation of AMPK signaling pathway. These processes suggest betatrophin as a latent therapeutic target for obesity.

scholarly journals Aspirin-Mediated Attenuation of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Ameliorating Reactive Oxygen Species In Vivo and In Vitro

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Liu ◽  
Jiayi Lin ◽  
Xiexing Wu ◽  
Xiaobin Guo ◽  
Houyi Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reactive Oxygen Species ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Intervertebral Disc ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Nucleus Pulposus ◽  
Reactive Oxygen ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Ampk Signaling

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD) is a major cause of low back pain. The pathogenesis of IDD is associated with the disturbance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) equilibrium, inflammation, and matrix loss. Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that effectively inhibits inflammation and oxidative stress and has been widely used for the treatment of back pain. Therefore, we hypothesize that aspirin reverses the IDD process via antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects on the AMPK signaling pathway. In vitro, aspirin diminished cellular oxygen free radicals (ROS, nitric oxide (NO)) and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin- (IL-) 1β and IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)) induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). We found that aspirin preserved the extracellular matrix (ECM) content of collagen type II (COL2) and aggrecan while inhibiting the expression of matrix-degenerating enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinase 3 and 13 (MMP-3 and MMP-13) and A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4 and 5 (ADAMTS-4, ADAMTS-5). Aspirin significantly promoted the ratios of p-AMPK to AMPK and p-ACC to ACC expression in NPCs. Furthermore, pretreatment with the AMPK inhibitor compound C abrogated the antioxidant effects of aspirin. In vivo, an IDD model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats via percutaneous disc puncture with the 20-gauge needle on levels 8-9 and 9-10 of the coccygeal vertebrae. Imaging assessment showed that after aspirin treatment, improvements in disc height index (DHI) ranged from 1.22-fold to 1.54-fold and nucleus pulposus signal strength improved from 1.26-fold to 1.33-fold. Histological analysis showed that aspirin treatment prevented the loss of COL2 and decreased MMP-3 and MMP-13, inducible NO synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), IL-1β, and TNF-α expression in the IVD tissues. These results suggest that treatment with aspirin could reverse the IDD process via the AMPK signaling pathway, which provides new insights into the potential clinical applications of aspirin, particularly for IDD treatment.

scholarly journals Chrysophanol Alleviates Metabolic Syndrome by Activating the SIRT6/AMPK Signaling Pathway in Brown Adipocytes

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Xueying Liu ◽  
Zehong Yang ◽  
Huixuan Li ◽  
Wen Luo ◽  
Wentao Duan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Insulin Sensitivity ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Lipid Accumulation ◽  
Obese Mice ◽  
Ampk Signaling ◽  
Ampk Pathway ◽  
Ucp1 Expression ◽  
White Fat

Chrysophanol, a primary active ingredient of Cassia mimosoides Linn or Rhei radix et rhizoma, has various pharmacological properties, including anticancer, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory, as well as blood lipid regulation. However, whether chrysophanol can mitigate obesity, and its underlying mechanisms remains unclear. This study investigated whether chrysophanol effects energy metabolism in high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced obese mice and fat-specific Sirtuin 6- (SIRT6-) knockout (FKO) mice, targeting the SIRT6/AMPK signaling pathway in brown and white fat tissue. Our results showed that chrysophanol can effectively inhibit lipid accumulation in vitro and reduce mice’s body weight, improve insulin sensitivity and reduced fat content of mice, and induce energy consumption in HFD-induced obese mice by activating the SIRT6/AMPK pathway. However, a treatment with OSS-128167, an SIRT6 inhibitor, or si-SIRT6, SIRT6 target specific small interfering RNA, in vitro blocked chrysophanol inhibition of lipid accumulation. Similar results were obtained when blocking the AMPK pathway. Moreover, in the HFD-induced obese model with SIRT6 FKO mice, histological analysis and genetic test results showed that chrysophanol treatment did not reduce lipid droplets and upregulated the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression. Rather, it upregulated the expression of thermogenic genes and activated white fat breakdown by inducing phosphorylation of adenosine 5 ′ -monophosphate- (AMP-) activated protein kinase (AMPK), both in vitro and in vivo. OSS-128167 or si-SIRT6 blocked chrysophanol’s upregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (Pgc-1α) and Ucp1 expression. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that chrysophanol can activate brown fat through the SIRT6/AMPK pathway and increase energy consumption, insulin sensitivity, and heat production, thereby alleviating obesity and metabolic disorders.

scholarly journals L-theanine Prevents Progression of Nonalcoholichepatic Steatosis by Regulating Hepatocyte Lipid Metabolic Pathways via the CaMKKβ-AMPK Signaling Pathway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juanjuan Liang ◽  
Lili Gu ◽  
Xianli Liu ◽  
Xintong Yan ◽  
Xiaowen Bi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Hepatic Steatosis ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Ampk Signaling ◽  
Nonalcoholic Hepatic Steatosis

Abstract Background: L-theanine, a non-protein amino acid found principally in the green tea, has been previously shown to possess potent anti-obesity property and hepatoprotective effect. Herein, we investigated the effects of L-theanine on alleviating nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis in vitro and in vivo, and explored the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods: In vitro, HepG2 and AML12 cells were treated with 500 μM oleic acid (OA) or treated with OA accompanied by L-theanine. In vivo, C57BL/6J mice were fed with normal control diet (NCD), high‐fat diet (HFD), or HFD along with L-theanine for 16 weeks. The levels of TG, accumulation of lipid droplets and the expression of genes related to hepatocyte lipid metabolic pathways were detected in vitro and in vivo.Results: Our data indicated that, in vivo, L-theanine significantly reduced body weight, hepatic steatosis, serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), TG and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) in HFD-induced Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mice. In vitro, L-theanine also significantly alleviated OA induced hepatocytes steatosis. Mechanic studies showed that L-theanine significantly inhibited the nucleus translocation of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) through AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway, thereby contributing to the reduction of fatty acid synthesis. We also identified that L-theanine enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation by increasing the expression of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor α (PPARα) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 A (CPT1A) through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Furthermore, our study indicated that L-theanine can active AMPK via its upstream kinase Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase-β (CaMKKβ). Conclusions: Taken together, our findings suggest that L-theanine alleviates nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis by regulating hepatocyte lipid metabolic pathways via the CaMKKβ-AMPK signaling pathway.

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