Silibinin attenuates adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes through a potential upregulation of the insig pathway.
In the past few decades, the use of silibinin, a plant flavonoid extracted from the milk thistle, as a hepatoprotective and chemopreventive agent has gained much attention. In this study, we investigated the effects of silibinin on adipogenesis. Treatment with silibinin suppressed terminal differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into adipocytes as evidenced by Oil red O staining and TG assay results. Real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that silibinin decreased the expression of adipogenesis-related genes such as CAAT/enhancer binding protein-alpha, fatty acid synthase, sterol response element binding protein 1c, adipocyte-specific lipid binding protein, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and lipoprotein lipase, and increased the expression of preadipocyte factor-1, a preadipocyte marker gene. The anti-adipogenic effect of silibinin was associated with the up-regulation of insig-1 and insig-2. Collectively, these results suggest that silibinin inhibits adipocyte differentiation through a potential up-regulation of insig-1 and insig-2 at an early phase in adipocyte differentiation.
Department of Biochemistry, Medical School and Institute for Medical Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Jeonbuk 561-756, Korea.
Sun-O
SO
Ka
Kyung-Ah
KA
Kim
Kang-Beom
KB
Kwon
Jin-Woo
JW
Park
Byung-Hyun
BH
Park
D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000077385:Silybin; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; C506119:Insig1 protein, mouse; C506120:Insig2 protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012838:Silymarin; D000077385:Silybin