title: Anti-Obesity Effects of Aster spathulifolius Extract in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-obesity and antihyperlipidemic efficacy and molecular mechanisms of Aster spathulifolius Maxim extract (ASE) in rats with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Rats were separately fed a normal diet or a HFD for 8 weeks, then they were treated with ASE (62.5, 125, or 250 mg/kg) for another 4.5 weeks. The ASE supplementation significantly lowered body weight gain, visceral fat pad weights, serum lipid levels, as well as hepatic lipid levels in HFD-induced obese rats. Histological analysis showed that the ASE-treated group showed lowered numbers of lipid droplets and smaller size of adipocytes compared to the HFD group. To understand the mechanism of action of ASE, the expression of genes and proteins involved in obesity were measured in liver and skeletal muscle. The expression of fatty acid oxidation and thermogenesis-related genes (e.g., PPAR-α, ACO, CPT1, UCP2, and UCP3) of HFD-induced obese rats were increased by ASE treatment. On the other hand, ASE treatment resulted in decreased expression of fat intake-related gene ACC2 and lipogenesis-related genes (e.g., SREBP-1c, ACC1, FAS, SCD1, GPATR, AGPAT, and DGAT). Furthermore, ASE treatment increased the level of phosphorylated AMPKα in obese rats. Similarly, the level of phosphorylated ACC, a target protein of AMPKα in ASE groups, was increased by ASE treatment compared with the HFD group. These results suggest that ASE attenuated visceral fat accumulation and improved hyperlipidemia in HFD-induced obese rats by increasing lipid metabolism through the regulation of AMPK activity and the expression of genes and proteins involved in lipolysis and lipogenesis.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Science of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sa-Jic
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Preventive Pharmacy and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chae-Young
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Preventive Pharmacy and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yuan-Ri
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Science of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Korea.|2 Department of Preventive Pharmacy and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Se-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choung
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D031173:Aster Plant / Q000737:chemistry*; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047493:PPAR alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D047493:PPAR alpha; D010936:Plant Extracts; D051780:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D000071246:Uncoupling Protein 2
keywords: ACC; AMPKα; Aster spathulifolius Maxim; SD-rat; anti-obesity; fatty acid oxidation; high-fat diet