• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.273-281
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• 2011

Our previous study demonstrated that the Korean traditional medicine Gyeongshingangjeehwan (GGEx) inhibits obesity and insulin resistance in obese type 2 diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. We investigated whether GGEx may affect AMP-activated protein kinase ${\alpha}$ ($AMPK{\alpha}$) since $AMPK{\alpha}$ activation is known to stimulate fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle of obese rodents. After OLETF rats were treated with GGEx, we studied the effects of GGEx on $AMPK{\alpha}$ and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylation, and the expression of $AMPK{\alpha}$, $PPAR{\alpha}$, and $PPAR{\alpha}$ target genes. The effects of GGEx on mRNA expression of the above genes were also measured in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. Administration of GGEx to OLETF rats for 8 weeks increased phosphorylation of $AMPK{\alpha}$ and ACC in skeletal muscle. GGEx also elevated skeletal muscle mRNA levels of $AMPK{\alpha}1$ and $AMPK{\alpha}2$ as well as $PPAR{\alpha}$ and its target genes. Consistent with the in vivo data, similar activation of genes was observed in GGEx-treated C2C12 cells. These results suggest that GGEx stimulates skeletal muscle $AMPK{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\alpha}$ activation, leading to alleviation of obesity and related disorders.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.283-289
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• 2011

Our previous study demonstrated that the Korean traditional medicine Gyeongshingangjeehwan (GGEx) activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\alpha}$ ($PPAR{\alpha}$) critical for fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle and C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. Thus, we examined whether GGEx can reduce lipid accumulation in these cells and tissues. After obese and type 2 diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats were treated with GGEx, we studied the effects of GGEx on skeletal muscle lipid accumulation. The effects of GGEx and/or the AMPK inhibitor compound C on lipid accumulation and expression of AMPK and $PPAR{\alpha}$ were measured in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. Compared with lean Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka rats, obese OLETF rats had increased triglyceride droplets. However, administration of GGEx to OLETF rats for 8 weeks significantly decreased triglyceride droplets in skeletal muscle. Consistent with the $in$ $vivo$ data, GGEx inhibited lipid accumulation, the degree of which was comparable to Wy14,643, the potent activator of $PPAR{\alpha}$. GGEx also increased skeletal muscle mRNA levels of AMPK${\alpha}1$, AMPK${\alpha}2$, and $PPAR{\alpha}$. However, compound C inhibited these effects in C2C12 cells. These results suggest that GGEx suppresses skeletal muscle lipid accumulation and this process may be mediated by AMPK and $PPAR{\alpha}$ activation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1300-1308
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• 2012

The 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key part of a kinase-signaling cascade that acts to maintain energy homeostasis. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the possible effects of fasting and refeeding on the gene expression of hypothalamic AMPK, some appetitive regulating peptides and lipid metabolism related enzymes. Seven-day-old male broiler (Arbor Acres) chicks were allocated into three equal treatments: fed ad libitum (control); fasted for 24 h; fasted for 24 h and then refed for 24 h. Compared with the control, the hypothalamic gene expression of $AMPK{\alpha}2$, $AMPK{\beta}1$, $AMPK{\beta}2$, $AMPK{\gamma}1$, Ste20-related adaptor protein ${\beta}$ ($STRAD{\beta}$), mouse protein $25{\alpha}$ ($MO25{\alpha}$) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) were increased after fasting for 24 h. No significant difference among treatments was observed in mRNA levels of $AMPK{\alpha}1$, $AMPK{\gamma}2$, LKB1 and neuropeptide Y (NPY). However, the expression of $MO25{\beta}$, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), ghrelin, fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase ${\alpha}$ ($ACC{\alpha}$), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT-1) and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) were significantly decreased. The present results indicated that 24 h fasting altered gene expression of AMPK subunits, appetite regulation peptides and lipometabolism related factors in chick's hypothalamus; the hypothalamic FAS signaling pathway might be involved in the AMPK regulated energy homeostasis and/or appetite regulation in poultry.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.449-454
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• 2009

5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a heterotrimeric complex consisting of a catalytic ($\alpha$) and two regulatory ($\beta$ and $\gamma$) subunits. Two isoforms are known for catalytic subunit (${\alpha}1$, ${\alpha}2$) and are encoded by different genes. To assess the metabolic effects of $AMPK{\alpha}1$, we examined the effects of overexpression of adenoviral-mediated $AMPK{\alpha}1$ in hyperlipidemic type 2 diabetic rats. The Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat is an established animal model of type 2 diabetes that exhibits chronic and slowly progressive hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Thirty five-week-old overt type 2 diabetic rats (n=10) were administered intravenously with Ad.$AMPK{\alpha}1$. AMPK activity was measured by phosphorylation of acetyl CoA carboxlyase (ACC). To investigate the changes of gene expression related glucose and lipid metabolism, quantitative real-time PCR was performed with liver tissues. Overexpression of $AMPK{\alpha}1$ showed that blood glucose concentration was decreased but that glucose tolerance was not completely recovered on 7th day after treatment. Plasma triglyceride concentration was decreased slightly, and hepatic triglyceride content was markedly reduced by decreasing expression of hepatic lipogenic genes. Overexpression of $AMPK{\alpha}1$ markedly improved hepatic steatosis and it may have effective role for improving hepatic lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemic state.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.77-82
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• 2012

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an important cellular fuel sensor. Its activation requires phosphorylation at Thr-172, which resides in the activation loop of the ${\alpha}1$ and ${\alpha}2$ subunits. Several AMPK upstream kinases are capable of phosphorylating AMPK at Thr-172, including LKB1 and CaMKK${\beta}$ ($Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase${\beta}$). AMPK has been implicated in the regulation of physiological signals, such as in the inhibition of cholesterol fatty acid, and protein synthesis, and enhancement of glucose uptake and blood flow. AMPK activation also exhibits several salutary effects on the vascular function and improves vascular abnormalities. AMPK is modulated by numerous hormones and cytokines that regulate the energy balance in the whole body. These hormone and cytokines include leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin, and even thyroid hormones. Moreover, AMPK is activated by several drugs and xenobiotics. Some of these are in being clinically used to treat type 2 diabetes (e.g., metformin and thiazolidinediones), hypertension (e.g., nifedipine and losartan), and impaired blood flow (e.g., aspirin, statins, and cilostazol). I reviewed the precise mechanisms of the AMPK activation pathway and AMPK-modulating drugs.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.495-507
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• 2017

The effect of clonidine administered intrathecally (i.t.) on the mortality and the blood glucose level induced by sepsis was examined in mice. To produce sepsis, the mixture of D-galactosamine (GaLN; 0.6 g/10 ml)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS; $27{\mu}g/27{\mu}l$) was treated intraperitoneally (i.p.). The i.t. pretreatment with clonidine ($5{\mu}g/5{\mu}l$) increased the blood glucose level and attenuated mortality induced by sepsis in a dose-dependent manner. The i.t. post-treatment with clonidine up to 3 h caused an elevation of the blood glucose level and protected sepsis-induced mortality, whereas clonidine post-treated at 6, 9, or 12 h did not affect. The pre-treatment with oral D-glucose for 30 min prior to i.t. post-treatment (6 h) with clonidine did not rescue sepsis-induced mortality. In addition, i.t. pretreatment with pertussis toxin (PTX) reduced clonidine-induced protection against mortality and clonidine-induced hyperglycemia, suggesting that protective effect against sepsis-induced mortality seems to be mediated via activating PTX-sensitive G-proteins in the spinal cord. Moreover, pretreatment with clonidine attenuated the plasma tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) induced by sepsis. Clonidine administered i.t. or i.p. increased $p-AMPK{\alpha}1$ and $p-AMPK{\alpha}2$, but decreased p-Tyk2 and p-mTOR levels in both control and sepsis groups, suggesting that the up-regulations of $p-AMPK{\alpha}1$ and $p-AMPK{\alpha}2$, or down-regulations of p-mTOR and p-Tyk2 may play critical roles for the protective effect of clonidine against sepsis-induced mortality.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 2014

Objective: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes is increasing worldwide. Mitochondrial dysfunction is known to be involved in insulin resistance and obesity, researches have been increasing highly. Astragali Radix extract (ARE) or its main components have been shown to perform comparably to insulin by significantly reducing blood glucose levels in animal models however, the influence on mitochondrial dysfunction are not well understood. Methods: ARE (0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml) or metformin (2.5 mM) were treated in C2C12 after 6 day-differentiation. The expressions of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and phosphorylation AMPK, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptror ${\gamma}$ coactivator $1{\alpha}$ ($PGC1{\alpha}$), nuclear respiratory factors 1 (NRF1), mitochondrial transcription factor (Tfam) and myosin heavy chain were detected with western blotting or polymerase chain reaction analysis. The morphological changes were also investigated. Results: ARE dose dependently increased phosphorylation of AMPK and respectively activated mRNA expressions of $PGC1{\alpha}$, NRF1 and Tfam which are mitochondrial biogenesis regulators. Furthermore, there were some morphologic differences of differentiated cells between ARE treatment and control. Conclusions: This study suggests that ARE has the potential to increase muscle mitochondrial function by activating AMPK and $PGC1{\alpha}$.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2012

Alcoholic hepatitis is a leading cause of liver failure in which the increased production of tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$ (TNF${\alpha}$) plays a critical role in progression of alcoholic liver disease. In the present study, we investigated the effects of cilostazol, a selective inhibitor of type III phosphodiesterase on ethanol-mediated TNF${\alpha}$ production in vitro and $in$ $vivo$, and the effect of cilostazol was compared with that of pentoxifylline, which is currently used in clinical trial. RAW264.7 murine macrophages were pretreated with ethanol in the presence or absence of cilostazol then, stimulated with lipopolysacchride (LPS). Cilostazol significantly suppressed the level of LPS-stimulated TNF${\alpha}$ mRNA and protein with a similar degree to that by pentoxifylline. Cilostazol increased the basal AMP- activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity as well as normalized the decreased AMPK by LPS. AICAR, an AMPK activator and db-cAMP also significantly decreased TNF${\alpha}$ production in RAW264.7 cells, but cilostazol did not affect the levels of intracellular cAMP and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The $in$ $vivo$ effect of cilostazol was examined using ethanol binge drinking (6 g/kg) mice model. TNF${\alpha}$ mRNA and protein decreased in liver from ethanol gavaged mice compared to that from control mice. Pretreatment of mice with cilostazol or pentoxifylline further reduced the TNF${\alpha}$ production in liver. These results demonstrated that cilostazol effectively decrease the ethanol-mediated TNF${\alpha}$ production both in murine macrophage and in liver from binge drinking mice and AMPK may be responsible for the inhibition of TNF${\alpha}$ production by cilostazol.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.8
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• pp.1197-1203
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• 2013

This study investigated the effects of endurance exercise and ginsenoside $Rb_1$ on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) protein expression and glucose uptake in the skeletal muscle of rats. A total of 32 rats were randomly divided into four groups: CON (Control group, n=8), Ex (Exercise group; 25 m/min for 1 h, 6 days/week, 2 weeks, n=8), $Rb_1$ (Ginsenoside $Rb_1$ group; n=8), and $Rb_1/Ex$ ($Rb_1$+Exercise group, n=8). The $Rb_1$ and $Rb_1/Ex$ groups were incubated in ginsenoside $Rb_1$ (KRBP buffer, $100{\mu}g/mL$) for 60 min after a 2-week experimental treatment. After 2 weeks, the expression of phosphorylated $AMPK{\alpha}$ $Thr^{172}$, total $AMPK{\alpha}$, the p85 subunit of PI3K, pIRS-1 $Tyr^{612}$, and pAkt $Ser^{473}$ were determined in the soleus muscle. Muscle glucose uptake was measured using 2-deoxy-D-[$^3H$] glucose in epitroclearis muscle. Muscle glucose uptake was significantly higher in the three experimental groups (Ex, $Rb_1$, $Rb_1/Ex$) compared to the CON group (P<0.05). The expression of $tAMPK{\alpha}$ and $pAMPK{\alpha}$ $Thr^{172}$ was significantly higher in the Ex, $Rb_1$, and $Rb_1/Ex$ groups compared to the CON group (P<0.05). The expression of pAkt $Ser^{473}$ was significantly higher in the $Rb_1$ group compared to the CON and EX groups. However, the expression of pIRS-1 $Tyr^{612}$ and the p85 subunit of PI3K were not significantly different between the four groups. Overall, these results suggest that ginsenoside $Rb_1$ significantly stimulates glucose uptake in the skeletal muscle of rats through increasing phosphorylation in the AMPK pathway, similar to the effects of exercise.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.251-256
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• 2011

EGCG, catechins in green tea, is a kind of phytochemical. Through the regulation of signal pathways, EGCG has been known to show anti-oxidant and anti-tumor effects in cells. In this study, we investigated the apoptotic effects of EGCG through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signal pathways, including hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-$1{\alpha}$). The experiments were performed in B16F10 melanoma cells in a hypoxic state. AMPK is activated by ATP consumption such as nutrient deficiency, exercise, heat shock, etc. The activated AMPK that plays an important role as an energy sensor inhibits proliferation of cancer cells, as well as inducing apoptosis. HIF-$1{\alpha}$, the primary transcriptional regulator of the response to oxygen deprivation, plays a critical role in modulating tumor growth and angiogenesis in a hypoxic state. The apoptotic effects of EGCG were studied in B16F10 cells in a hypoxic state. The results show that EGCG inhibits the transcriptional activity of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and induces apoptosis. These observations suggest that EGCG may exert inhibitory effects of angiogenesis and control tumor cell growth in hypoxic melanoma cells.