title: Anti-obesity effects of ginsenoside Rh2 are associated with the activation of AMPK signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocyte.
abstract: Metabolic disorders such as obesity are major obstacles in improving the average life span. Therefore, a therapeutic approach using natural compounds has been proposed as a novel strategy for preventing metabolic disorders. Ginsenoside Rh2 is one of the ginsenosides that exert anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, the anti-obesity effects of Ginsenoside Rh2 remain unclear. Here, we investigated the anti-obesity ability of ginsenoside Rh2 using cell culture systems. Ginsenoside Rh2 effectively inhibited adipocyte differentiation via PPAR-gamma inhibition. Next, to find specific target molecules based on this result, we used cell culture systems to examine whether AMPK activation was involved in the anti-obesity ability of ginsenoside Rh2 since several published papers have indicated that AMPK signaling is involved in the regulation of metabolic disorders. Ginsenoside Rh2 significantly activated AMPK in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In addition, we also examined the effect of AMPK on lipolysis molecules such as CPT-1 and UCP-2 by using an AMPK inhibitor. Ginsenoside Rh2 effectively induced CPT-1 and UCP-2 and this induction was abolished by AMPK inhibitor treatment. Moreover, we observed that ROS is an important upstream signal for AMPK activation during ginsenoside Rh2 treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that ginsenoside Rh2 is the most effective candidate for preventing metabolic disorders such as obesity and that it acts via the AMPK signaling pathway. Thus, AMPK signaling might contribute toward improving human health.
authors.affiliation: Functional Food Research Center, Korea Food Research Institute, 516 Baekhyun, Bundang-gu, Songnam-si, Gyungki-do 463-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Taek
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Soon-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myoung-Su
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hye-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Min-Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hak-Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joohun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Myung Sunny
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D000091162:AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051379:Mice; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D036145:Ginsenosides; C055305:ginsenoside Rh2; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000091162:AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases