Modulating effect of sesamin, a functional lignan in sesame seeds, on the transcription levels of lipid- and alcohol-metabolizing enzymes in rat liver: a DNA microarray study.
Sesamin, a major lignan in sesame seeds, has multiple functions such as cholesterol-lowering and anti-hypertensive activities. To investigate the effect of sesamin on gene expression in the liver, a DNA microarray analysis was carried out. The ingestion of sesamin dissolved in olive oil up-regulated the expression of 38 genes, 16 of which encode proteins possessing a lipid-metabolizing function, and 16 of which encode proteins possessing a xenobiotic/endogenous substance metabolizing function. In particular, sesamin significantly increased the expression of beta-oxidation-associated enzymes in peroxisomes and auxiliary enzymes required for degradation, via the beta-oxidation pathway, of unsaturated fatty acids in mitochondria. The ingestion of sesamin also resulted in an increase in the gene expression of acyl-CoA thioesterase involved in acyl-CoA hydrolase and very-long-chain acyl-CoA thioesterase. Interestingly, it induced the expression of the gene for aldehyde dehydrogenase, an alcohol-metabolizing enzyme. These results suggest that sesamin regulates the metabolism of lipids, xenobiotics, and alcohol at the mRNA level.
Tsuruoka
Nobuo
N
Suntory Institute for Health Care Science, Osaka, Japan. Nobuo_Tsuruoka@suntory.co.jp
Kidokoro
Ayako
A
Matsumoto
Ichiro
I
Abe
Keiko
K
Kiso
Yoshinobu
Y
D000438:Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D017705:Lignans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D031685:Sesamum / Q000737:chemistry*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
D000438:Alcohols; D004149:Dioxoles; D017705:Lignans; C054125:sesamin