title: Butein is a novel anti-adipogenic compound.
abstract: Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for its various biological activities including anti-adipogenic effects. Activity-guided separation led to the identification of the anti-adipogenic functions of butein. Butein, a novel anti-adipogenic compound, robustly suppressed lipid accumulation and inhibited expression of adipogenic markers. Molecular studies showed that activated transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and suppressed signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways were mediated by butein. Analysis of the temporal expression profiles suggests that TGF-β signaling precedes the STAT3 in the butein-mediated anti-adipogenic cascade. Small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of STAT3 or SMAD2/3 blunted the inhibitory effects of butein on adipogenesis indicating that an interaction between two signaling pathways is required for the action of butein. Upon butein treatments, stimulation of TGF-β signaling was still preserved in STAT3 silenced cells, whereas regulation of STAT3 signaling by butein was significantly impaired in SMAD2/3 silenced cells, further showing that TGF-β acts upstream of STAT3 in the butein-mediated anti-adipogenesis. Taken together, the present study shows that butein, a novel anti-adipogenic compound from RVS, inhibits adipocyte differentiation through the TGF-β pathway followed by STAT3 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ signaling, further implicating potential roles of butein in TGF-β- and STAT3-dysregulated diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: No-Joon
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hyang-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Ki Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: So-Ra
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Woo-Seok
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Cho-Rong
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Young Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dae-Hyuk
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kweon
authors.forename: Joung-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jeong-Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ki-Moon
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kang Ro
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kye Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D047188:Chalcones / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D029045:Rhus / Q000737:chemistry; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051900:Smad3 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D047188:Chalcones; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D051899:Smad2 Protein; C497783:Smad2 protein, mouse; D051900:Smad3 Protein; C497791:Smad3 protein, mouse; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C040918:butein