• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.148-154
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• 2003

Although various raw plant materials have been demonstrated to exert anti-obesity effects to a greater or lesser extent in both humans and animals when they are used to supplement the diet, it has not been shown extensively that they influence adipocyte cell differentiation involving lipid metabolic gene expressions. Using a well-established 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation system, we decided to look into molecular and cellular event occurring during adipocyte differentiation when raw plant materials aye included in the process, in an effort to demonstrate the potential use of a screening system to define the functions of traditionally well-known materials. To these ends, the effects of ethanol (EtOH) or EtOH/distilled water (DW) extracts of Wax Gourd were examined using cytochemical and molecular analyses to determine whether components of the extracts modulate adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-Ll preadipocytes in vitro. The cytochemical results demonstrated that EtOH or EtOH/DW extracts did not affect lipid accumulation and cell proliferation, although the degree of lipid accumulation was influenced slightly depending on the extract. EtOH extract was highly effective in apoptotic induction during differentiation of 3T3-Ll preadipocytes (p<0.05). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), Uncoupling protein (Ucp) 2, 3 and 4 also showed that while LPL expression was not influenced, Ucp2, 3 and 4 were up regulated in the EtOH extract-treated group and down regulated in the EtOH/DW extract-treated group. These changes in gene expressions suggest that the components in different fractions of Wax Gourd extracts may modulate lipid metabolism by either direct or indirect action. Taking these results together, it was concluded that molecular and cellular analyses of adipocyte differentiation involving lipid metabolic genes should facilitate understanding of cellular events occurring during adipocyte differentiation. Furthermore, the experimental scheme and analytical methods used in this study should provide a screening system for the functional study of raw plant materials in obesity research.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.535-540
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• 1995

The purpose of this research was to investigate effects of glycyrrhizin on the differentiation of preadipocytes, 3T3-Ll cells and to characterize the action of glycyrrhizin that affect the responses of 3T3-Ll cells during differentiation. The differentiation of 3T3-Ll cells was stimulated by glycyrrhizin, and triglyceride contents was increased in the differentiated 3T3-LI cell extracts. Total protein contents was increased by glycyrrhizin or inductive agents in the differentiated 3T3-Ll cell extracts. Calmodulin contents was increased by inductive agents, but the contents was not affected by glycyrrhizin in the differentiated 3T3-Ll cell extracts. The results suggest that glycyrrhizin has a stimulating activity of adipose conversion, but the activity is not related to calmodulin contents during the process of differentiation of 3T3-LI cells.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2009

Gymnema sylvestre, a traditional India medicine called a 'Gagaimogouip' in Korea, has been used to regulate sugar metabolism in patients with diabetes mellitus. First, we induced callus from Gymnema sylvestre leaf and mode extract from cultured callus. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of tissue-cultured Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in 3T3-L1 cells. The tissue-cultured Gymnema sylvestre extract inhibited the cytoplasmic lipid accumulation as well as adipogenic differentiation of preadipocytes. The tissue-cultured Gymnema sylvestre extract inhibited insulin-induced predipocyte differentiation through the inhibition of expression of the early adipogenic transcription factor C/EBP-${\alpha}$ that regulate adipogenesis. These results indicate that tissue-cultured Gymnema sylvestre extract may be potential natural ingredient for slimming cosmetic products.