Changes in hepatic gene expression associated with the hypocholesterolaemic activity of royal jelly.
Royal jelly (RJ) has various pharmacological actions, including hypolipidaemic, hypocholesterolaemic and anti-atherosclerotic effects, in experimental animals but the molecular mechanisms involved remain unclear. Here, we investigated changes in the expression of lipid metabolism-associated genes in the liver of RJ-treated mice by means of a DNA microarray technique to obtain clues to the mechanism of the hypocholesterolaemic action of RJ. We compared the hepatic gene expression profiles in three groups of mice fed a diet containing 5% RJ, a diet containing 5% RJ stored at 40 degrees C for 7 days (40-7d RJ) or a control diet which provided the same total energy as the other diets. RJ decreased gene expression of squalene epoxidase (SQLE), which is a key enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREB)-1, which may be a transcriptional factor of SQLE. It increased gene expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), which is involved in cholesterol incorporation in liver. Thus, the hypocholesterolaemic action of RJ appears to be associated with a decrease of SQLE and an increase of LDLR in mice.
Kamakura
Masaki
M
Biotechnology Research Center, Toyama Prefectural University, 5180 Kurokawa, Imizu, Toyama 939-0398, Japan. kamakura@pu-toyama.ac.jp
Moriyama
Tatsuya
T
Sakaki
Toshiyuki
T
D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050612:Fatty Acid Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D026502:LDL-Receptor Related Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050603:Squalene Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D000099219:Royal Jelly
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D050612:Fatty Acid Transport Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D026502:LDL-Receptor Related Proteins; D050603:Squalene Monooxygenase; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1; D000099219:Royal Jelly; C497388:Srebf1 protein, mouse