• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.10
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• pp.679-684
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• 2009

Fenofibrate has been proven to reduce adiposity. Since gestation produces an increase in white adipose tissue (WAT) mass, we comparatively studied this drug-effect in virgin and pregnant rats. Fenofibrate reduced lumbar WAT weight in both pregnant and virgin rats. Fenofibrate treatment did not modify plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentration in virgin rats, it greatly increased it in pregnant animals. Remarkable differences between the two groups were obtained for two proteins related to fatty acid oxidation and esterification and storing. Respectively, the mRNA levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT-I) were increased by the fenofibrate only in the virgin rats and a similar finding was observed for the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). These findings indicate that fenofibrate reduces adiposity in pregnant and virgin rats through different mechanisms: a) in virgin rats, by promoting fatty acid oxidation; and b) in pregnant rats, by enhancing fatty acid output.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.262-266
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• 2010

This study was performed to investigate the anti-obesity effect of Eisenia bicyclis in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups that were fed a normal diet, an HFD, or an HFD supplemented with a 5% powder of Eisenia bicyclis (PEB) for 8 weeks. The PEB group showed lower body weight gains than the HFD group. The PEB group also exhibited reduced body fat mass and adipose cell size in epididymal adipose tissue. The concentrations of serum cholesterol, leptin, and insulin in the PEB group were significantly lower than those in the HFD group. Liver triglyceride content was significantly decreased by PEB supplementation. Furthermore, hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that PEB supplementation reduced lipid droplet formation in the liver induced by HFD. These results suggest that PEB supplementation reduces body weight gain and fat accumulation in HFD-induced obese mice.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2013

Animals show a sexual dimorphism in metabolic responses. We investigated to verify whether the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\alpha}$ ($PPAR{\alpha}$) agonist fenofibrate regulates obesity and skeletal muscle lipid metabolism with sexual dimorphism and to determine the changes in skeletal muscle expression of $PPAR{\alpha}$ target genes. After both sexes of C57BL/6J mice received a high fat diet with or without fenofibrate for 7 weeks, we examined the effects of fenofibrate on not only body weight, adipose tissue mass, and skeletal muscle lipid accumulation, but also the mRNA expression of $PPAR{\alpha}$-related genes in skeletal muscle. Male mice given a fenofibrate-supplemented high fat diet showed decreased body weight gain and adipose tissue mass compared with mice fed a high fat diet alone, whereas fenofibrate did not reduce them in high fat diet-fed female mice. Lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle was inhibited by fenofibrate in male mice, but not in female mice. Gene expression analysis revealed that fenofibrate increased the mRNA levels of $PPAR{\alpha}$ target enzymes only in male mice. Therefore, our results suggest that sex-dependence differences in obesity and intramuscular lipid levels under fenofibrate treatment could be due in part to the differences in skeletal muscle $PPAR{\alpha}$ activation between male and female mice.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.4 s.261
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• pp.320-322
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• 2006

A 60-year-old male was admitted because of dyspnea and angina like chest pain. Noninvasive findings showed a mass at the posterior aspect of the left atrium. The mass was removed under cardiopulmonary bypass. An encapsulated adipose mass, which originated from the left atrium without any invasion to the pericardium, was completely excised. Histological examination showed mature adipose tissue with partial necrosis, confirming the diagnosis of lipoma. We report a rare of case of massive left atrial lipoma occupying the pericardial space.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.660-667
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• 2017

PineXol, extracted from Korean red pine bark, has beneficial effects, such as antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antilipogenic activities in vitro. We tested the hypothesis that PineXol supplementation could have anti-obesity effects on mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Four-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed normal chow (18% kcal from fat) or a HFD (60% kcal from fat). HFD-fed animals were also subjected to PineXol treatment at a dose of 10 or 50 mg/kg body weight (BW) (PX10 or PX50, respectively) body weight. The body weight and body fat mass in the PX50 group were statistically lower than those in the HFD group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). The concentration of hepatic triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were reduced in the PX50 group compared with the HFD group (p < 0.01). Acetyl CoA carboxylase (p < 0.01), elongase of very long chain fatty acids 6 (p < 0.01), stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 (p < 0.05), microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (p < 0.01), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (p < 0.05) were significantly decreased in the PX50 group compared with that in the HFD group. In white adipose tissue, CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein alpha (p < 0.05), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (p < 0.001), and perilipin (p < 0.01) were decreased in the PX50 group compared with those in the HFD group. Therefore, the current study implies the potential of PineXol for the prevention and/or amelioration of obesity, in part by inhibition of both hepatic lipid synthesis and adipogenesis in white adipose tissue.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.685-695
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• 2017

Obesity and the metabolic disorders that constitute metabolic syndrome are a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Nonetheless, the changes in the proteins and the underlying molecular pathways involved in the relevant pathogenesis are poorly understood. In this study a proteomic analysis of the visceral adipose tissue isolated from metabolically healthy and unhealthy obese patients was used to identify presence of altered pathway(s) leading to metabolic dysfunction. Samples were obtained from 18 obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery and were subdivided into two groups based on the presence or absence of comorbidities as defined by the International Diabetes Federation. Two dimensional difference in-gel electrophoresis coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was carried out. A total of 28 proteins were identified with a statistically significant difference in abundance and a 1.5-fold change (ANOVA, $p{\leq}0.05$) between the groups. 11 proteins showed increased abundance while 17 proteins were decreased in the metabolically unhealthy obese compared to the healthy obese. The differentially expressed proteins belonged broadly to three functional categories: (i) protein and lipid metabolism (ii) cytoskeleton and (iii) regulation of other metabolic processes. Network analysis by Ingenuity pathway analysis identified the $NF{\kappa}B$, IRK/MAPK and PKC as the nodes with the highest connections within the connectivity map. The top network pathway identified in our protein data set related to cellular movement, hematological system development and function, and immune cell trafficking. The VAT proteome between the two groups differed substantially between the groups which could potentially be the reason for metabolic dysfunction.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.279-288
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• 2011

Objectives : Our purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between abdominal adipose tissue and oriental obesity pattern identification. Methods : This study was performed in 78 healthy obese(BMI(body mass index)${\geq}25kg/m^2$) women in Seoul. Subjects underwent abdominal CT(computed tomography) scanning and were asked to complete the oriental obesity pattern identification questionnaire. Subjects were given written consent and this study was performed under permission of institutional review board of Kyung-hee East-west Neo medical center. Results : 1. VFA(visceral fat area) and VSR(visceral/subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio) were significantly correlated with stagnation of the liver qi(肝鬱, gan-yu)(p<0.05). But, other patterns were not significantly correlated with oriental obesity pattern identification(p>0.05). 2. We evaluated a difference of oriental obesity pattern identification score in visceral obesity group(n=34) versus non-visceral obesity group(n=44). Scores of all patterns except food accumulation(食積, shi-ji) were significantly higher in the visceral obesity group than in the non-visceral obesity group(p<0.05). Especially, there was a further significant difference in stagnation of the liver qi(肝鬱, gan-yu)(p<0.01). Conclusions : Generally, the stagnation of the liver qi(肝鬱, gan-yu) has a close relation with stress and depression. This study suggests that stress and depression might be correlated with visceral fat, and the use of oriental obesity pattern identification would be helpful for planning a treatment schedule of visceral obesity in the clinic.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.210-216
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• 2011

Capsaicin is a pungent component of red pepper, which is widely consumed as food adjuncts. The present study was performed to investigate anti-obesity effects of capsaicin in diet-induced obese rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=14) were fed with a high-fat diet (Control) or high-fat diet containing 0.016% capsaicin (w/w) (Capsaicin) for 8 weeks. The final body weight and the mass of white adipose tissue were significantly lower in capsaicin supplemented group compared to control. Dietary capsaicin ameliorated lipid profiles with decrease in the plasma concentrations of triglycerides and total cholesterol, and decrease in the levels of total lipids and triglycerides in the liver. Activity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), an indicator of triglyceride biosynthesis in white adipose tissue, decreased by 35% in the group supplemented with capsaicin. However, consumption of capsaicin increased the expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in white adipose tissue, which is related to energy consumption. Our data suggests that capsaicin may reduce body weight and fat accumulation in high fat diet-induced obese rats. These effects may be mediated, at least partially, by the upregulation of UCP2 gene expression and its ability to inhibit GPDH activity.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.283-294
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• 2024

Background/Aims: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) shares pathophysiological properties with other visceral fats and potentially triggers local inflammation. However, the association of EAT with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still debatable. The study aimed to observe the changes and associations in EAT and risk factors over time, as well as to investigate whether EAT was associated with CVD. Methods: A total of 762 participants from Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) and SNUH Gangnam Center were included in this study. EAT was measured using coronary computed tomography angiography. Results: Baseline EAT level was positively associated with body mass index (BMI), calcium score, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) 10-year risk score, glucose, triglycerides (TG)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL), but not with total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL). At follow-up, EAT levels increased in all groups, with low EAT groups demonstrating a significant increase in EAT per year. Change in EAT was associated with a change in BMI, TG/HDL, and glucose, while changes in LDL, calcium score, and ASCVD 10-year risk score were not associated. Although calcium score and ASCVD 10-year risk score were associated with CVD events, baseline information of EAT, baseline EAT/body surface area, or EAT change was not available. Conclusions: Metabolic risks, e.g., BMI, TG/HDL, and glucose, were associated with EAT change per year, whereas classical CVD risks, e.g., LDL, calcium score, and ASCVD 10-year risk score, were not. The actual CVD event was not associated with EAT volume, warranting future studies combining qualitative assessments with quantitative ones.