• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.186-189
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• 2023

Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is a unique mitochondrial membranous protein expressed in brown adipose tissue (BAT) in mammals. While its expression in response to cold temperatures and adipogenic inducers is well-characterized in mammals and human infants, the molecular characterization and expression of UCP1 in fish remain unexplored. To address this gap, we analyzed UCP1 expression in response to adipogenic inducers in a fish cell line, rainbow trout gonadal cells (RTG-2), and compared it with UCP1 expression in three mammalian preadipocytes, 3T3-L1, T37i, and WT1 exposed to the Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists, rosiglitazone (Rosi). In mammalian preadipocytes, UCP1 protein was highly expressed by Rosi, with an induction of adipogenesis observed in a time-dependent manner. This suggests that UCP1 plays a significant role in adipogenesis in mammals. However, RTG-2 cells showed no response to adipogenic inducers and exhibited only marginal expressions of UCP1. These results imply that RTG-2 cells may lack crucial responsive mechanisms to adipogenic signals or that the adipogenic response is regulated by other mechanisms. Further studies are needed to confirm these phenomena in fish preadipocytes when an appropriate cell line is established in future research.

• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.531-538
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• 2017

This study was performed to investigate the effects of garlic on uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) transcriptional regulation of UCP2-luciferase transgenic mice fed on a high fat diet to induce obesity. To examine the transcriptional regulation of UCP2, we generated transgenic mice with a UCP2 promoter (-1,830/+30 bp) containing luciferase as a reporter gene. UCP2-luciferase transgenic mice were fed a 45% high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce obesity. Subsequently, mice were maintained on either a high-fat control diet (TG-CON), or high-fat diets supplemented with 2% (TG-GL2) or 5% (TG-GL5) garlic for a further 8 weeks. Dietary garlic reduced body weight and energy efficiency ratio in the TG-GL5 group, compared to the TG-CON group. Furthermore, garlic supplementation significantly decreased white adipose tissue fat mass and plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and leptin in the TG-GL2 and TG-GL5 groups, compared to the TG-CON group. Specifically, UCP2 promoter activity in metabolic tissues such as liver, white adipose tissue, brown adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle was increased by garlic supplementation. These results suggest that dietary garlic was partially associated with an increase of UCP2 transcriptional activity in metabolic tissues for decreasing obesity.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.161-167
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• 2022

Obesity is a complex metabolic disorder that increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. In this study, we evaluated the anti-obesity effects of Nelumbo nucifera leaf (NL) extract in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and obese db/db mice. NL extract among various parts (leaf, seed, and root) of N. nucifera most effectively reduced adipogenesis via inhibiting CCAAT enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The addition of NL extract enhanced the protein expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) as compared to untreated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The oral administration of NL extract (100 mg/kg BW) significantly reduced food efficacy ratio, body weight, and face or total cholesterol level in obese db /db mice. Also, administration of NL extract significantly decreased adipocyte size and C/EBPα or PPARγ expression in the adipose tissues as compared with control (obese db/db mice). Therefore, our results suggest that NL extract among various parts of N. nucifera could be used as a functional food ingredient for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases including obesity and diabetes.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2004

A rainbow trout uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) cDNA clone, encoding a 310 amino acid protein, was cloned and sequenced from a liver cDNA library. Two different splice variants designated UCP3-vl and UCP3-v2, were identified through liver cDNA library screening using rainbow trout UCP3 cDNA clone as a probe. UCP3-vl has 3 insertions in the UCP3 cDNA: the first insertion (133 bp), the second (141 bp), and the third (370 bp) were located 126 bp, 334 bp and 532 bp downstream from the start codon, respectively. UCP3-v2 contained a single insertion, identical in sequence and location to the second insertion of UCP3-vl. UCP3, a mitochondrial protein, functions to modulate the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation. UCP3 has been detected from heart, testis, spinal cord, eye, retina, colon, muscle, brown adipose tissue and white adipose tissue in mammalian animals. Human and rodent UCP3s are highly expressed in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue, while they show weak expression of UCP3 in heart and white adipose tissue. In contrast to mammalian studies, RT-PCR and Southern blot analysis of the rainbow trout demonstrated that UCP3 is strongly expressed in liver and heart. UCP3, UCP3-vl, and UCP3-v2 all contain an Ava III short interspersed element (SINE), located in the 3'untraslated region (UTR). PCR using primers from the Ava III SINE and the UCP3 3'UTR region indicates that the UCP3 cDNA is structurally conserved among salmonids and that these primers may be useful for salmonid species genotyping.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.33-46
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• 2023

Objectives We investigated anti-obesity effects of Menthae Herba hydrosol in obese mice. Methods Animals were divided into four groups, and treatments were performed for 7 weeks. After the treatment, serum lipid profiles, weight and pathological morphology in liver, kidney, adipose tissue were measured. Also, hepatic protein and gene expression levels of lipid metabolism-related factors were analyzed. Results Body weight was decreased in P3% group. In P1% (group fed high-fat diet and 1% Menthae Herba hydrosol) and P3% (group fed high-fat diet and 3% Menthae Herba hydrosol) group, weight of white adipose tissue, serum levels of triglyceride and blood urea nitrogen were decreased, and weight of muscle was increased. Also, liver, kidney and epididymal adipocyte size were reduced in P1% and P3% group. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase was increased and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) was decreased in P3% group. mPeroxisome proliferator-activator receptor-γ, mMonocyte chemotactic protein-1 were decreased in P1% and P3% group. In P3% group, mSREBP-1c was decreased and mCarnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 was increased. And mUncoupling protein 1 in brown adipose tissue was increased. Conclusions These results suggest that Menthae Herba hydrosol has a worthy effect on anti-obesity.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.6
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• 2016

Background: Uncoupling proteins 2 (UCP2) plays an important role in energy regulation, previous studies suggested that UCP2 is an excellent candidate gene for human obesity and growth-related traits in cattle and chicks. The current study was designed to detect the genetic variation of UCP2 gene, and to explore the association between polymorphism of UCP2 gene and growth, carcass and meat quality traits in rabbits. Results: A synonymous mutation in exon 1 and four variants in the first intron of the UCP2 gene were identified by using PCR-sequencing. The synonymous mutation c.72G>A was subsequently genotyped by MassArray system (Sequenom iPLEXassay) in 248 samples from three meat rabbit breeds (94 Ira rabbits, 83 Champagne rabbits, and 71 Tianfu black rabbits). Association analysis suggested that the individuals with AA and AG genotypes showed greater 70 d body weight (P < 0.05), 84 d body weight (P < 0.01), ADG from 28 to 84 days of age (P < 0.05), eviscerated weight (P < 0.01), semi-eviscerated weight (P < 0.01) and semi-eviscerated slaughter percentage (P < 0.05), respectively. Additionally, the individuals with AA and AG genotype had a lower pH value of longissimus muscle (P < 0.01) and hind leg muscle (P < 0.05) after slaughter 24 h. Conclusions: These findings indicated that UCP2 could be a candidate gene that associated with growth performance, body composition and meat quality in rabbits, and this would contribute to advancements in meat rabbit breeding practice.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.17-26
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• 2022

Objective : The aim of the present study is to examine hepatic lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects of silymarin combined with Jakyakgamcho-tang on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a high fat diet-induced obese mice model. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were divided into four dietary groups: (1) Normal, (2) Control (60% high-fat diet), (3) Control + silymarin 50 mg/kg/day (Silymarin), (4) Control + Silymarin 50 mg/kg/day + Jakyakgamcho-tang 100 mg/kg/day (SPG). After 12 weeks administration, mice were sacrificed and lipids and inflammation-related biomarkers were analyzed liver and plasma. Results : Silymarin and SPG treatments significantly lowered body and liver weights compared to the Control. Serumlipids (triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1𝛽, and IL-6) concentrations were significantly lowered in the Silymarin and SPG groups than the Control group. Silymarin and SPG treatments suppressed hepatic TG level and hepatic lipid droplets compared to the Control. Theses two treatments significantly increased hepatic kinase B1 and AMP-activated protein kinase protein levels, and significantly decreased hepatic key lipogenic enzymes (acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase and stearyl coenzyme A desaturase 1) protein levels than the Control. SPG also significantly increased hepatic fatty acid oxidation-related protein (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and uncoupling protein 2) levels than the Control. Conclusions: Silymarin and SPG suppressed hepatic lipid accumulation by regulating hepatic protein expression, and lowered blood pro-inflammatory cytokines concentrations though the synergic effect of silymarin and Jakyakgamchotang was not clear.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.645-650
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• 2019

Brown adipocytes have an important role in the regulation of energy balance through uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1)-mediated nonshivering thermogenesis. Although brown adipocytes have been highlighted as a new therapeutic target for the treatment of metabolic diseases, such as obesity and type II diabetes in adult humans, the molecular mechanism underlying brown adipogenesis is not fully understood. We recently found that protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type B (PTPRB) expression dramatically decreased during brown adipogenic differentiation. In this study, we investigated the functional roles of PTPRB and its regulatory mechanism during brown adipocyte differentiation. Ectopic expression of PTPRB led to a reduced brown adipocyte differentiation by suppressing the tyrosine phosphorylation of VEGFR2, whereas a catalytic inactive PTPRB mutant showed no effects on differentiation and phosphorylation. Consistently, the expression of brown adipocyte-related genes, such as UCP-1, $PGC-1{\alpha}$, PRDM16, $PPAR-{\gamma}$, and CIDEA, were significantly inhibited by PTPRB overexpression. Overall, these results suggest that PTPRB functions as a negative regulator of brown adipocyte differentiation through its phosphatase activity-dependent mechanism and may be used as a target protein for the regulation of obesity and type II diabetes.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.1010-1020
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• 2022

Objective: The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of maternal undernutrition during late pregnancy on the expressions of genes involved in growth and development in ovine fetal perirenal brown adipose tissue (BAT). Methods: Eighteen ewes with singleton fetuses were allocated to three groups at day 90 of pregnancy: restricted group 1 (RG1, 0.33 MJ metabolisable energy [ME]/kg body weight [BW]^0.75/d, n = 6), restricted group 2 (RG2, 0.18 MJ ME/kg BW^0.75/d, n = 6), and a control group (CG, ad libitum, 0.67 MJ ME/kg BW^0.75/d, n = 6). The fetuses were removed at day 140 of pregnancy. All data were analyzed by using the analysis of variance procedure. Results: The perirenal fat weight (p = 0.0077) and perirenal fat growth rate (p = 0.0074) were reduced in RG2 compared to CG. In fetal perirenal BAT, the protein level of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) (p = 0.0001) was lower in RG1 and RG2 compared with CG and UCP1 mRNA expression (p = 0.0265) was decreased in RG2. The protein level of myogenic factor 5 (Myf5) was also decreased in RG2 (p = 0.0001). In addition, mRNA expressions of CyclinA (p = 0.0109), CyclinB (p = 0.0019), CyclinD (p = 0.0015), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) (p = 0.0001), E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1) (p = 0.0323), E2F4 (p = 0.0101), and E2F5 (p = 0.0018) were lower in RG1 and RG2. There were decreased protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) (p = 0.0043) and mRNA expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBPα) (p = 0.0307) in RG2 and decreased PPARγ mRNA expression (p = 0.0008) and C/EBPα protein expression (p = 0.0015) in both RG2 and RG1. Furthermore, mRNA expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) (p = 0.0083) and BMP7 (p = 0.0330) decreased in RG2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor co-activator-1α (PGC-1α) reduced in RG2 and RG1. Conclusion: Our observations support that repression of regulatory factors promoting differentiation and development results in the inhibition of BAT maturation in fetal perirenal fat during late pregnancy with maternal undernutrition.