title: Curcumin rescues high fat diet-induced obesity and insulin sensitivity in mice through regulating SREBP pathway.
abstract: Obesity and its major co-morbidity, type 2 diabetes, have reached an alarming epidemic prevalence without an effective treatment available. It has been demonstrated that inhibition of SREBP pathway may be a useful strategy to treat obesity with type 2 diabetes. Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are major transcription factors regulating the expression of genes involved in biosynthesis of cholesterol, fatty acid and triglyceride. In current study, we identified a small molecule, curcumin, inhibited the SREBP expression in vitro. The inhibition of SREBP by curcumin decreased the biosynthesis of cholesterol and fatty acid. In vivo, curcumin ameliorated HFD-induced body weight gain and fat accumulation in liver or adipose tissues, and improved serum lipid levels and insulin sensitivity in HFD-induced obese mice. Consistently, curcumin regulates SREBPs target genes and metabolism associated genes in liver or adipose tissues, which may directly contribute to the lower lipid level and improvement of insulin resistance. Take together, curcumin, a major active component of Curcuma longa could be a potential leading compound for development of drugs for the prevention of obesity and insulin resistance.
authors.affiliation: The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The State Administration of TCM (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Complex Prescriptions, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Shanghai R&D Center for Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The State Administration of TCM (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Complex Prescriptions, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Shanghai R&D Center for Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Jinmei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Baoliang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The State Administration of TCM (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Complex Prescriptions, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Shanghai R&D Center for Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Binfeng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The State Administration of TCM (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Complex Prescriptions, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Shanghai R&D Center for Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Wendong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The State Administration of TCM (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Complex Prescriptions, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Shanghai R&D Center for Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Shanghai 201203, China. Electronic address: yangli7951@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: The Ministry of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines, The State Administration of TCM (SATCM) Key Laboratory for New Resources and Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Complex Prescriptions, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Shanghai R&D Center for Standardization of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Shanghai 201203, China. Electronic address: ztwang@shutcm.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhengtao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008820:Mice, Obese; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051779:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D051779:Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Curcumin; Insulin resistance; Obesity; SREBPs; Type 2 diabetes