• 대한한방내과학회지
• /
• 제33권4호
• /
• pp.438-447
• /
• 2012

Objectives : In this study, we investigated the effect and the underlying mechanism of ethanol extract of Benincasa seeds on a cellular model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) established by treating HepG2 cells with palmitate. Methods : We evaluated ethanol extract of Benincasa seeds (EEBS) for its hepatic lipid-lowering potential in fatty acid overloaded HepG2 cells. After incubation in palmitate containing media with or without EEBS, intracellular neutral lipid accumulations were quantified by Nile red staining. We also investigated the effect of EEBS on lipogenesis and ${\beta}$-oxidation. $LXR{\alpha}$-dependent SREBP-1c activation, expression of lipogenic genes, and expression of ${\beta}$-oxidation related genes were determined with or without pretreatment of EEBS. Results : EEBS significantly attenuated palmitate-induced intracellular neutral lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. EEBS suppressed fatty acid synthesis by inhibiting $LXR{\alpha}$-dependent SREBP-1c activation. EEBS also repressed SREBP-1c mediated induction of lipogenic genes, including ACC, FAS, and SCD-1. However, EEBS had no effect on ${\beta}$-oxidation related CPT-1 and $PPAR{\alpha}$ gene expression. Conclusions : Our results suggest that EEBS has an efficacy to decrease hepatic lipid accumulation, and this effect was mediated by inhibiting the $LXR{\alpha}$-SREBP-1c pathway that leads to expression of lipogenic genes and hepatic steatosis. Therefore, the Benincasa seeds may have a potential clinical application for treatment of this chronic liver disease.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제64권1호
• /
• pp.12-20
• /
• 2021

The mean age at menarche (AAM) of Korean females has been rapidly decreasing over the last 50 years; currently, the prevalence of early menarche (<12 years) is 22.3%. Female adolescents who experience early menarche are known to be at greater risk of psychosocial and behavioral problems along with several physical health problems such as menstrual problems. They also tend to achieve a shorter final height and develop obesity. Population-based Korean studies have shown a strong association between early menarche and the risk of obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Although the exact mechanism of how early menarche causes cardiometabolic derangement in later adulthood is unknown, childhood obesity and insulin resistance might be major contributors. Recent studies demonstrated that an excessive consumption of fructose might underlie the development of obesity and insulin resistance along with an earlier AAM. A positive association was observed between sugar-sweetened beverages (a major source of fructose) intake and obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic risk in Korean females. In pediatrics, establishing risk factors is important in preventing disease in later life. In this regard, early menarche is a simple and good marker for the management of cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. Decreasing one's fructose intake might prevent early menarche as well as the development of obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiometabolic diseases.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• 제25권3호
• /
• pp.240-250
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the advantages and usefulness of transient elastography (Fibroscan^®) in diagnosing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in children and adolescents compared to those of abdominal computed tomography and liver ultrasonography. Methods: Forty-six children and adolescent participants aged between 6 and 16 years who underwent transient elastography (Fibroscan^®) as well as liver ultrasonography or abdominal computed tomography were included. Thirty-nine participants underwent liver ultrasonography and 11 underwent computed tomography. The physical measurements, blood test results, presence of metabolic syndrome, and the degree of liver steatosis and liver fibrosis were analyzed, and their correlations with transient elastography (Fibroscan^®), abdominal computed tomography, and liver ultrasonography, as well as the correlations between examinations, were analyzed. Results: Thirty-six participants (78.3%) were boys, and the mean age was 12.29±2.57 years, with a mean body mass index of 27.88±4.28. In the 46 participants, the mean values for aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and total bilirubin were 89.87±118.69 IU/L, 138.54±141.79 IU/L, and 0.77±0.61 mg/dL, respectively. Although transient elastography (Fibroscan^®) and abdominal computed tomography grading had a statistically significant positive correlation with aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase values, the correlations between the results of grading performed by transient elastography (Fibroscan^®), abdominal computed tomography, and liver ultrasonography were not statistically. Conclusion: We confirmed that each examination was correlated with the results of some blood tests, suggesting the usefulness and possibility of diagnosis and treatment of steatohepatitis mediated by transient elastography (Fibroscan^®) in the department of pediatrics.

• 동의생리병리학회지
• /
• 제27권6호
• /
• pp.802-808
• /
• 2013

Here we tried to uncover the potential anti-lipogenic effect and the underlying mechanism of Phaseolus angularis seed in a cellular model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced in HepG2 cells. Ethanol extract of Phaseolus angularis seed (JSD) was prepared. HepG2 cells were incubated in palmitate containing media to induce intracellular lipid accumulation, and co-treated with JSD for 16 hrs before examine intracellular lipid content. In control group, the cells were not co-treated with JSD. We measured the effects of JSD on liver X receptor ${\alpha}$ ($LXR{\alpha}$) and sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1c (SREBP-1c) expression, transcription level of lipogenic genes, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in HepG2 cells. JSD markedly reduced palmitate-induced intracellular lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. JSD suppressed $LXR{\alpha}$/SREBP-1c expression, and SREBP-1c mediated induction of ACC, FAS, and SCD-1. Furthermore, JSD activated AMPK, which plays a major role in the control of hepatic lipid metabolism. Taken together, it is suggested that JSD has a potential to alleviate hepatic steatosis, at least in part, by suppressing $LXR{\alpha}$/SREBP-1c mediated induction of lipogenic genes. In addtion, the anti-lipogenic potential may be associated with activation of AMPK. Therefore, the Phaseolus angularis seed could be applied as a potential therapeutics for NAFLD with additional clinical studies.

• 대한한방내과학회지
• /
• 제40권1호
• /
• pp.38-57
• /
• 2019

Objective: This study reviewed recent clinical research trends regarding the effects of herbal medicine treatment containing diuretic herbs on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in China. Methods: We reviewed clinical studies on NAFLD from the China Academic Journal of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure from January 1, 2016, to September 10, 2018. Results: Thirty-nine papers from 86 studies were reviewed. The most commonly used herbal prescriptions included Alismatis Rhizoma(澤瀉), Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix (丹蔘), Crataegii Fructus (山査), Polia Sclerotium (茯?), Bupleuri Radix (柴胡), and Cassiae Semen (決明子). The treatment effective rate, liver function test, serum lipid test, radiological examination, and symptom comparisons were used to analyze the treatments. In 32 of the papers, the effective treatment rate was 76.9%-100%, and the effectiveness in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). The risk ratio for the treatment effective rate was 1.26. The mean difference of ALT was -13.44 U/L (95% confidential interval, -24.45 U/L, -2.44 U/L, p=0.0166). Conclusion: Herbal medicine containing diuretic herbs has been demonstrated to be an effective and useful treatment for NAFLD. Clinical studies that are more scientific and systematic should be actively conducted in the future, and the results of the current study could be used as basic data in future clinical studies on herbal medicine treatment for NAFLD.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• 제20권1호
• /
• pp.65-70
• /
• 2014

This study was carried out to investigate the potential effects of Gardenia jasminoides (GJ) extracts, on hepatic steatosis and lipid metabolism in mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD). GJ extracts (100 mg/kg, ${\times}10$ weeks) fed mice showed reduced body weight, adipose tissue weight, reduced aminotransferase level in plasma and hepatic lipid (triglyceride, total cholesterol) content. These effects were accompanied by decreased expression of lipogenic genes, sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), liver X receptor (LXR), fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36), lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and decreased lipogenic enzyme FAS and HMG-CoAR enzyme activities while elevating carnitine palmitoyltrasferase-1 (CPT) activity. Based on these results, we speculated that the inhibitory effect on hepatic steatosis of GJ extract containing geniposide is the result of suppression of lipid synthesis in mice fed with HFD, suggesting that GJ extract may be beneficial in preventing hepatic steatosis.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• 제17권5호
• /
• pp.870-882
• /
• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome, a global public health problem. Mentha canadensis (MA), a traditional phytomedicine and dietary herb used for centuries, was the focus of this study to investigate its effects on obesity. MATERIALS/METHODS: Thirty-five male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 2 groups and fed either a normal diet (ND, n = 10) or a high-fat diet (HFD, n = 25) for 4 weeks to induce obesity. After the obesity induction period, the HFD-fed mice were randomly separated into 2 groups: one group continued to be fed HFD (n = 15, HFD group), while the other group was fed HFD with 1.5% (w/w) MA ethanol extract (n = 10, MA group) for 13 weeks. RESULTS: The results showed that body and white adipose tissue (WAT) weights were significantly decreased in the MA-supplemented group compared to the HFD group. Additionally, MA supplementation enhanced energy expenditure, leading to improvements in plasma lipids, cytokines, hepatic steatosis, and fecal lipids. Furthermore, MA supplementation regulated lipid-metabolism-related enzyme activity and gene expression, thereby suppressing lipid accumulation in the WAT and liver. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that MA has the potential to improve diet-induced obesity and its associated complications, including adiposity, dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation.

• 생명과학회지
• /
• 제33권12호
• /
• pp.967-977
• /
• 2023

Rubus crataegifolius (RC)는 장미과에 속하는 전통적인 아시아 약용 식물이다. RC 열매는 항산화 작용을 통해 성인병을 예방하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 RC 열매 추출물(RCex)이 비만과 비알코올성 지방간 질환(NAFLD)에 미치는 영향을 동물 모델을 통해 평가하였다. 28마리의 수컷 C57BL/6J 마우스에 8주간 비만을 유도한 후, 추출물을 8주간 경구 투여하였다. 그룹 1은 일반 대조군으로 표준사료를 섭취하였다. 그룹 2는 HFD 대조군으로, 그룹 3에는 심바스타틴(6.5 mg/kg/일)을, 그룹 4에는 RCex (200 mg/kg)을 투여하였다. RCex투여는 실험 마우스의 체중, 지방 조직, 간 무게를 감소시켰으며, 또한 지질 대사(ALT, AST, TC, TG, LDL, HDL)를 포함한 생화학적 바이오마커를 개선하였다. AMPK의 활성화는 지방생성 유전자(LXR, SREBP-1c, FAS, ACC1)의 발현을 감소시켰으며, RCex에 의한 CPT 활성 증진 효과를 검증하였다. RCex는 또한 에너지 소비 및 신진대사와 관련된 호르몬(adiponectin 및 leptin)의 혈장 수준에도 영향을 미쳤다. 또한, RCex가 HFD로 유도된 비만 mice의 포도당 불내성을 개선했음을 확인 하였다. RCex는 AMPK의 인산화를 통해 지방산 산화 및 지방산 합성을 조절함으로써 항비만 및 항NAFLD 효과를 가짐을 처음으로 입증하였다. 이는 R. crataegifolius가 비만 및 관련 NAFLD 예방에 좋은 보충제가 될 수 있음을 시사한다.

• 대한한방내과학회지
• /
• 제37권3호
• /
• pp.442-452
• /
• 2016

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the anti-lipogenic effect and the mechanism of Jungmanbunso-hwan extract (JMBSH) on a cellular model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) caused by palmitate in HepG2 cells.Methods: The JMBSH was prepared, andHepG2 cells were treated with various concentrations of JMBSH in order to perform an MTT assay. The HepG2 cells were cultivated in palmitate-containing media with or without extract of JMBSH. The intracellular lipid content in the HepG2 cells was examined. The effects of JMBSH on sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1c (SREBP-1c), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FAS), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in HepG2 cells were measured.Results: JMBSH did not reduce HepG2 cell viability under 1,000 μg/mL. JMBSH considerably decreased intracellular lipid accumulation caused by palmitate in HepG2 cells. JMBSH repressed expression of SREBP-1c, which mediates the induction of lipogenic genes (ACC, FAS, and SCD-1). JMBSH also activated AMPK, which plays animportant role in the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism.Conclusions: This study suggested that JMBSH relieves hepatic steatosis by repressing SREBP-1c, which mediates the induction of lipogenic genes. The anti-lipogenic effect of JMBSH may also be related to the activation of AMPK. Therefore, JMBSH could potentially be applied to NAFLD treatment after further clinical studies.

• 대한의생명과학회지
• /
• 제24권4호
• /
• pp.311-318
• /
• 2018

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) supplementation has been suggested to negatively correlate with obesity in humans and other animals. Previous studies, including ours, have demonstrated that a high-fat diet (HFD) induces obesity and related diseases such as hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Here, we investigated the effects of vitamin C on visceral adipocyte hypertrophy and glucose intolerance in C57BL/6J mice. Mice received a low-fat diet (LFD, 10% kcal fat), HFD (45% kcal fat), or the same HFD supplemented with vitamin C (HFD-VC, 1% w/w) for 15 weeks. Visceral adiposity and glucose intolerance were examined using metabolic measurements, histology, and gene expression analyses. Mice in the HFD-VC supplementation group had reduced body weight, mesenteric fat mass, and mesenteric adipocyte size compared with HFD-fed mice. Vitamin C intake in obese mice also decreased the mRNA levels of lipogenesis-related genes (i.e., stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c) in mesenteric adipose tissues, inhibited hyperglycemia, and improved glucose tolerance. In addition, vitamin C attenuated the HFD-induced increase in the size of pancreatic islets. These results suggest that vitamin C suppresses HFD-induced visceral adipocyte hypertrophy and glucose intolerance in part by decreasing the visceral adipose expression of genes involved in lipogenesis.