• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.673-685
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• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity is associated with the impaired regulation of T cells characterized by increased numbers of Th1 and Th17 cells and the dysregulation of vitamin D metabolism. Both obesity and vitamin D have been reported to affect autophagy; however, a limited number of studies have investigated the effects of vitamin D on T cell autophagy in obese mice. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether in vitro treatment with vitamin D affects the proliferation, function, and autophagy of T cells from obese and control mice. MATERIALS/METHODS: Five-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were fed control or high-fat diets (10% or 45% kcal fat: CON or HFDs, respectively) for 12 weeks. Purified T cells were stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 monoclonal antibodies and cultured with either 10 nM 1,25(OH)₂D₃ or 0.1% ethanol (vehicle control). The proliferative response; expression of CD25, Foxp3, RORγt, and autophagy-related proteins (LC3A/B, SQSTM1/P62, BECLIN-1, ATG12); and the production of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-17A, and IL-10 by T cells were measured. RESULTS: Compared with the CON group, T cell proliferation tended to be lower, and the production of IFN-γ was higher in the HFD group. IL-17A production was reduced by 1,25(OH)2D₃ treatment in both groups. The LC3 II/I ratio was higher in the HFD group than the CON group, but P62 did not differ. We observed no effect of vitamin D treatment on T cell autophagy. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that diet-induced obesity may impair the function and inhibit autophagy of T cells, possibly leading to the dysregulation of T cell homeostasis, which may be behind the aggravation of inflammation commonly observed in obesity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.135-146
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• 2022

Obesity is closely associated with profound dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease. Recent reports have suggested that alterations in gut microbiota can be linked to diet-induced obesity. In this study, the anti-obesity effects of Weissella confusa WIKIM51 isolated from kimchi were investigated, as evidenced by: i) reduced lipid accumulation and downregulated adipogenesis-related genes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes; ii) suppressed gains in body weight and epididymal fat mass; iii) reduced serum lipid levels, for example, triglyceride and total cholesterol; iv) increased serum adiponectin levels and reduced serum leptin levels; v) downregulated lipogenesis and upregulated β-oxidation-related genes in the epididymal fat; and vi) altered microbial communities. The collective evidence indicate the potential value of W. confusa WIKIM51 as a functional food supplement for the prevention and amelioration of obesity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.967-977
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• 2023

Rubus crataegifolius (RC) is a traditional Asian medicinal plant belonging to the Rosaceae family. The fruits of RC are known to prevent adult diseases through antioxidants. In this study, the effects of RC extract (RCex) on obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were evaluated in animal models. Twenty-eight male C57BL/6J mice were induced to become obese for 8 weeks and then the extract was orally administered for 8 weeks. RCex reduced body weight, adipose tissue, liver weight. RCex improved biochemical biomarkers including lipid metabolism (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), plasma triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol). The activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) reduced the expression of adipogenesis genes (liver × receptor (LXR), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthesis (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) and the effect of enhancing carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activity by RCex was verified. RCex also influence on plasma production of hormones (adiponectin & leptin) related on energy expenditure and metabolism. In addition, we confirmed that RCex improved glucose intolerance in HFD-induced obese rats. RCex was first demonstrated to have anti-obesity as well as anti-NAFLD effects by regulating fatty acid oxidation and fatty acid synthesis by phosphorylation of AMPK. This suggests that RCex could be a good supplement for the prevention of obesity and related NAFLD.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.215-226
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• 2015

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide and has become a serious epidemic health problem. We developed the 'Change 10 Habits' educational program based on obesity treatment and dietary guidelines and examined its effects on customized nutrition education in mildly obese adults. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. Study subjects were excluded if they had several major diseases, if had consumed an anti-obesity drug, or if they practiced an obesity-related program within 30 days. The subjects (n=87, $25{\leq}BMI$ <30) were each exposed to the customized nutrition education program with four lessons according to the stage of the transtheoretical model (TTM). The stage-matched program was administered for 12 weeks and was run by a clinical dietitian. Overall, subjects who were in the precontemplation/contemplation stage at baseline made progress in the preparation and action/maintenance stage after 12 weeks (P<0.05). For 'Alcohol is consumed, up to 2 drinks per day', the proportion of subjects who belonged in the action/maintenance stage increased from 34.5% to 49.4% at 12 weeks. In addition, scores of all items significantly increased after the program (P<0.05). 'Chew more than 10 times and eat slowly' score significantly increased from $3.9{\pm}2.4$ to $5.8{\pm}2.3$ (P<0.05). In conclusion, behavioral stage-matched nutrition education using the 'Change 10 Habits' program was effective in improving eating behaviors and enhancing healthy lifestyles in mildly obese adults.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.144-153
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• 2017

It was demonstrated that Gangjihwan (DF), which is the herbal composition composed of Ephedra intermedia, Lithospermum erythrorhizon, and Rheum palmatum, inhibits obesity and hepatic steatosis in high fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mice. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of DF on visceral obesity, hepatic inflammation and fibrosis and the mechanism of actions involved in this process using in vivo and in vitro approaches. DF was extracted with water (DF-FW), 30% grain alcohol (DF-GA30), and 70% grain alcohol (DF-GA70). Administration of DF to HFD-fed control mice decreased visceral tissue mass and visceral adipocyte size without adverse effects. Visceral fat mass was decreased by DF-GA30 and DF-GA70, and visceral adipocyte size by all three DF extracts compared with obese control mice. Histological analysis revealed that three kinds of DF extracts reduced toluidine blue-stained mast cells and collagen accumulation in the liver, the extents of which were most eminent in DF-GA70-treated mice. DF-GA70 decreased the mRNA levels of the inflammation ($TNF{\alpha}$ and VCAM-1), fibrosis (${\alpha}-SMA$), and apoptosis (caspase 3) genes, but increasing the anti-apoptosis gene (Bcl-2) mRNA levels in the liver of obese control mice. Consistent with the in vivo data, GA-70 also altered the expression of inflammation genes ($TNF{\alpha}$ and MCP-1) in HepG2 cells. These results indicate that DF not only inhibits visceral obesity, but also ameliorates visceral obesity-induced hepatic inflammation and fibrosis and that this process may be mediated by regulating the hepatic expression of inflammatory and fibrogenic genes.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.123-132
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• 2013

Obesity is consistently increasing in prevalence and can trigger insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Many lines of evidence have shown that macrophages play a major role in inflammation associated with obesity. This study was conducted to determine metformin, a widely prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes, would regulate inflammation through down-regulation of scavenger receptors in macrophages from obesity-induced type 2 diabetes. RAW 264.7 cells and peritoneal macrophages were stimulated with LPS to induce inflammation, and C57BL/6N mice were fed a high-fat diet to generate obesity-induced type 2 diabetes mice. Metformin reduced the production of NO, $PGE_2$ and pro-inflammatory cytokines ($IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$) through down-regulation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ translocation in macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, the protein expressions of anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-4 and IL-10, were enhanced or maintained by metformin. Also, metformin suppressed secretion of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and reduced the protein and mRNA expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$ in obese mice as well as in macrophages. The expression of scavenger receptors, CD36 and SR-A, were attenuated by metformin in macrophages and obese mice. These results suggest that metformin may attenuate inflammatory responses by suppressing the production of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and the expressions of scavenger receptors.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.148-153
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• 2007

Obesity-induced inflammation plays a crucial role in obesity-related pathologies such as type II diabetes and atherosclerosis. Adipose tissue macrophages and the cell-derived proinflammatory chemokines are key components in augmenting inflammatory responses in obesity. Anthocyanins such as cyanidin and $cyanidin-3-O-{\beta}-D-glucoside$ (C3G) are known to elicit anti-inflammatory activities by suppressing the production of proinflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor alpha and nitric oxide in LPS-stimulated macrophages. In the present study, we investigated whether cyanidin and C3G have the potential to suppress the inflammatory responses of adipose cells. Cyanidin and C3G not only suppressed the migration of RAW 264.7 macrophages induced by mesenteric adipose tissue-conditioned medium, but also inhibited the activation of the cells to produce inflammatory chemokines such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-related protein-2 (MRP-2) in a dose-dependent manner. Cyanidin and C3G also inhibited the release of MCP-1 and MRP-2 from adipocytes and/or macrophages. These findings suggest that cyanidin and C3G may suppress the inflammatory responses of adipose tissue in obesity.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.425-437
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Different fatty acids exert different health benefits. This study investigated the potential protective effects of perilla, olive, and safflower oils on high-fat diet-induced obesity and colon inflammation. MATERIALS/METHODS: Five-week old, C57BL/6J mice were assigned to 5 groups: low-fat diet (LFD), high-fat diet (HFD) and high-fat diet supplemented with-perilla oil (HPO), olive oil (HOO), and safflower oil (HSO). After 16 weeks of the experimental period, the mice were sacrificed, and blood and tissues were collected. The serum was analyzed for obesity- and inflammation-related biomarkers. Gene expression of the biomarkers in the liver, adipose tissue, and colon tissue was analyzed. Micro-computed tomography (CT) analysis was performed one week before sacrifice. RESULTS: Treatment with all the three oils significantly improved obesity-induced increases in body weight, liver weight, and epididymal fat weight as well as serum triglyceride and leptin levels. Treatment with perilla oil (PO) and safflower oil (SO) increased adiponectin levels. The micro-CT analysis revealed that PO and SO reduced abdominal fat volume considerably. The mRNA expression of lipogenic genes was reduced in all the three oilsupplemented groups and PO upregulated lipid oxidation in the liver. Supplementation of oils improved macroscopic score, increased colon length, and decreased serum endotoxin and proinflammatory cytokine levels in the colon. The abundance of Bifidobacteria was increased and that of Enterobacteriaceae was reduced in the PO-supplemented group. All three oils reduced proinflammatory cytokine levels, as indicated by the mRNA expression. In addition, PO increased the expression of tight junction proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our data indicate that the three oils exert similar anti-obesity effects. Interestingly, compared with olive oil and SO, PO provides better protection against high-fat diet-induced colon inflammation, suggesting that PO consumption helps manage inflammation-related diseases and provides omega-3 fatty acids needed by the body.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.419-423
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• 2007

Obesity is increasingly recognized as a serious public health threat. Anti-obesity nutraceuticals that are safe and effective for the control and treatment of obesity are the subject of intense research throughout the world. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of plants such as Akebia quinata, corn silk, Crataegus pinnatifida var. psilosa, Coix lachrymajobi var. mayuen, and Lentinus edodes on fat cell size and serum lipid profile of rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were weighed, randomly assigned and fed AIN-76A basal or high fat diet for 6 weeks. Serum triacylglycerol level of rats fed a normal diet was significantly decreased with natural plants supplementation. Adipocytes from the epididymal fat pads of rats fed a high fat diet were larger than those of rats fed a normal diet. Fat cell size significantly (p<0.05) decreased with natural plants supplementation. Therefore, we found that natural plants supplementation can be used for the treatment of obesity, possibly by decreasing the body fat.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2016

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate anti-obesity effect of Galgeuntang (gegentang) and elucidate the effect of it on gene expression related to obesity. Methods The experiments were performed with the use of Diet-Induced Obese mice. They were grouped NC (normal control), HFD (high fat diet control), GGT (Galgeun-tang (gegentang), 700 mg/kg), ORL (Orlistat, 10 mg/kg). GGT was orally administered for 12 weeks. Body weight was measured every week. Real-time PCR was performed to investigate the effect of GGT on gene expression in liver tissue. Results GGT group and ORL group were reduced in body weight compared with HFD. HFD increased $PPAR{\gamma}$, SREBP-1, Leptin, aP2, FATP1, FAS gene expression compared with NC. GGT increased FATP1 gene expression. But GGT reduced $PPAR{\gamma}$ & FAS gene expression in liver tissue of diet-induced obese mice compared with HFD. Conclusions These results suggest that GGT is supposed to have a certain impact on the treatment of obesity. But more study is needed in the future.