title: Effects of berberine and cinnamic acid on palmitic acid-induced intracellular triglyceride accumulation in NIT-1 pancreatic β cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of berberine (BBR) and cinnamic acid (CA), the main active components in Jiaotai Pill (, JTP), on palmitic acid (PA)-induced intracellular triglyceride (TG) accumulation in NIT-1 pancreatic β cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cells were incubated in culture medium containing PA (0.25 mmol/L) for 24 h. Then treatments with BBR (10 μmol/L), CA (100 μmol/L) and the combination of BBR and CA (BBR+CA) were performed respectively. Intracellular lipid accumulation was assessed by Oil Red O staining and TG content was measured by colorimetric assay. The expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) protein and its downstream lipogenic and fatty acid oxidation genes, including fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-coA carboxylase (ACC), phosphorylation acetyl-coA carboxylase (pACC), carnitine acyl transferase 1 (CPT-1) and sterol regulating element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) were determined by Western blot or real time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PA induced an obvious lipid accumulation and a significant increase in intracellular TG content in NIT-1 cells. PA also induced a remarkable decrease in AMPK protein expression and its downstream targets such as pACC and CPT-1. Meanwhile, AMPK downstream lipogenic genes including SREBP-1c mRNA, FAS and ACC protein expressions were increased. Treatments with BBR and BBR+CA, superior to CA, significantly reversed the above genes changes in NIT-1 pancreatic β cells. However, the synergistic effect of BBR and CA on intracellular TG content was not observed in the present study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can be concluded that in vitro, BBR and BBR+CA could inhibit PA-induced lipid accumulation by decreasing lipogenesis and increasing lipid oxidation in NIT-1 pancreatic β cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.|Department of Nephrology, Wuhan Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Fu-Er
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Li-Jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Kai-Fu
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. tjhdonghui@163.com.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001599:Berberine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002934:Cinnamates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism*; D050155:Lipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D019308:Palmitic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002934:Cinnamates; D005227:Fatty Acids; D014280:Triglycerides; D001599:Berberine; C029010:cinnamic acid; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: Chinese medicine; Jiaotai Pill; NIT-1 cells; berberine; cinnamic acid; lipid; palmitic acid