title: Red clover extract ameliorates dyslipidemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic C57BL/6 mice by activating hepatic PPARα.
abstract: The effects of red clover extract and its bioactive components, biochanin A and formononetin, on the blood glucose and lipid levels of streptozotocin (STZ) induced-diabetic mice were investigated. Male diabetic C57BL/6 mice were induced by multiple low-dose STZ administration and then treated with red clover extract or isoflavones for a period of 3 weeks. Red clover extract had no significant effect on lowering the blood glucose levels of STZ-diabetic mice. Similarly, biochanin A and formononetin exerted no hypoglycemic effect. However, the serum triglycerides, total cholesterols and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels for STZ-diabetic mice receiving red clover extract were significantly lower than that of untreated STZ-diabetic mice. In addition, treatment with biochanin A or formononetin significantly ameliorated these lipid profiles in diabetic mice. The mRNA expression of two target genes transcriptionally regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α were determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and biochanin A or formononetin were found to significantly down-regulate hepatic APOC3 expression, whereas they had no significant effect on hepatic APOA5 expression. Thus we conclude that red clover extract and biochanin A or formononetin significantly ameliorate the lipid profiles of STZ-diabetic mice and these effects are achieved at least in part by activating hepatic PPARα.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Longyan University, Longyan 364000, China. qlongxin@tom.com
authors.forename: Longxin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Limei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yamin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Fojin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000072040:Apolipoprotein A-V; D053305:Apolipoprotein C-III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D019833:Genistein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D047493:PPAR alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D029921:Trifolium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C499058:Apoa5 protein, mouse; D000072040:Apolipoprotein A-V; D053305:Apolipoprotein C-III; D001053:Apolipoproteins; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007529:Isoflavones; D047493:PPAR alpha; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014280:Triglycerides; C007768:formononetin; D013311:Streptozocin; D019833:Genistein; C004541:biochanin A