title: Centipede grass exerts anti-adipogenic activity through inhibition of C/EBPβ, C/EBPα, and PPARγ expression and the AKT signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Centipede grass (CG) originates from China and South America and is reported to contain several C-glycosyl flavones and phenolic constituents, including maysin and luteolin derivatives. This study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the antiobesity activity of CG and its potential molecular mechanism in 3T3-L1 cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  To study the effect of CG on adipogenesis, differentiating 3T3-L1 cells were treated every day with CG at various concentrations (0-100 μg/ml) for six days. Oil-red O staining and triglyceride content assay were performed to determine the lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells. The expression of mRNAs or proteins associated with adipogenesis was measured using RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. We examined the effect of CG on level of phosphorylated Akt in 3T3-L1 cells treated with CG at various concentration s during adipocyte differentiation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differentiation was investigated with an Oil-red O staining assay using CG-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We found that CG suppressed lipid droplet formation and adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of the 3T3-L1 adipocytes with CG resulted in an attenuation of the expression of adipogenesis-related factors and lipid metabolic genes. The expression of C/EBPα and PPARγ, the central transcriptional regulators of adipogenesis, was decreased by the treatment with CG. The expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism, aP2 were significantly inhibited following the CG treatment. Moreover, the CG treatment down-regulated the phosphorylation levels of Akt and GSK3β.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken collectively, these data indicated that CG exerts antiadipogenic activity by inhibiting the expression of C/EBPβ, C/EBPα, and PPARγ and the Akt signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyoung Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Byung Yeoup
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Min-Kwon
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yuno
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Seung Sik
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gyo Moon
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Suk-Nam
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Young Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Gon-Sup
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D005960:Glucosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D047311:Luteolin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006109:Poaceae; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000494:pharmacology; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha; D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; C493411:Fabp4 protein, mouse; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005419:Flavonoids; D005960:Glucosides; D047495:PPAR gamma; D010936:Plant Extracts; D059808:Polyphenols; C114429:maysin; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605507:Gsk3b protein, mouse; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D047311:Luteolin