title: Chrysin induces brown fat-like phenotype and enhances lipid metabolism in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many studies have to do with promising therapeutic phytochemicals such as flavonoids to treat obesity and related complications, and a number of dietary compounds have been proposed as tools for increasing energy expenditure and decreasing fat accumulation in mammals. Here, we show that the flavonoid chrysin induces browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes via enhanced expression of brown fat-specific genes and proteins as well as enhances lipid metabolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chrysin-induced fat browning was investigated by determining expression levels of brown fat-specific genes and proteins by real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot analysis, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chrysin enhanced expression of brown fat-specific markers and increased protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α, PPARγ, PPARδ, phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase, hormone sensitive lipase, perilipin, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-1 alpha (PGC-1α), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1), suggesting its possible role in augmentation of lipolysis, fat oxidation, and thermogenesis as well as reduction of lipogenesis. Increased expression of UCP-1 and other brown fat-specific markers was possibly mediated by chrysin-induced activation of AMPK based on the fact that inhibition of AMPK by dorsomorphin abolished expression of PR domain-containing 16, UCP-1, and PGC-1α while the activator 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide elevated expression of these brown marker proteins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that chrysin plays a dual modulatory role in the form of inducing the brown-like phenotype as well as enhancing lipid metabolism and thus may be explored as a potentially promising food additive for prevention of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Kyungsan, Kyungbuk, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Heon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Kyungsan, Kyungbuk, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: Jwyun@daegu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jong Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yun
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; C043561:chrysin
keywords: Antiobesity; Chrysin; Fat browning; Non-shivering thermogenesis; UCP-1