title: Anti-obesity effects of Juniperus chinensis extract are associated with increased AMP-activated protein kinase expression and phosphorylation in the visceral adipose tissue of rats.
abstract: This study evaluates the protective effect of Juniperus chinensis hot water extract (JCE) against high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity and its molecular mechanisms in the visceral adipose tissue of rats. JCE supplementation significantly lowered body weight gain, visceral fat-pad weights, blood lipid levels, and blood insulin and leptin levels of rats rendered obese by an HFD. Feeding with JCE significantly reversed the HFD-induced down-regulation of the epididymal adipose tissue genes implicated in adipogenesis, such as the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors gamma2 (PPARgamma2), adipocyte protein 2 (aP2), sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR), as well as those involved in uncoupled respiration, such as the uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) and uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3). Dietary supplementation with JCE also reversed the HFD-induced decreases in the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and the acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2) expressions at both the mRNA and protein levels and restored the HFD-induced inhibitions in the AMPK and ACC2 phosphorylation, which are related to fatty acid beta-oxidation, in the epididymal adipose tissue. This study reports, for the first time, that the JCE can have an anti-obesity effect in a rodent model with HFD-induced obesity through an enhanced gene transcription of the uncoupling protein as well as an elevated AMPK protein expression and phosphorylation in the visceral adipose tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ha Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Taesun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D018653:Juniperus / Q000737:chemistry*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D004041:Dietary Fats; D007328:Insulin; D020738:Leptin; D008055:Lipids; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012313:RNA; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D000103:Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase