title: Brazilian propolis extract increases leptin expression in mouse adipocytes.
abstract: We investigated the anti-obesity effects of Brazilian green propolis ethanol extract using a mouse model of obesity. Repeated intraperitoneal injection of propolis (100 mg/kg twice a week) caused feeding suppression in C57BL/6 mice, whereas this treatment had negligible effects on C57BL/6 ob/ob mice. Since C57BL/6 ob/ob mice have a missense mutation in the Lep gene, leptin is likely to contribute to the propolis-induced feeding suppression. We found that propolis treatment indeed clearly increased leptin mRNA production in the visceral adipose tissues. Moreover, propolis extract directly elevated leptin expression in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Artepillin C, an important organic compound found in Brazilian green propolis, failed to induce leptin mRNA in 3T3-L1 cells. Compounds other than artepillin C in Brazilian propolis must thus cause leptin induction in adipocytes, possibly resulting in the suppression of feeding and obesity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Washio
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimamoto
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitamura
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D011429:Propolis
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D011429:Propolis