title: The combination of Artemisia princeps Pamp, Leonurus japonicas Houtt, and Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit attenuates the exacerbation of energy, lipid, and glucose by increasing hepatic PGC-1α expression in estrogen-deficient rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Artemisia princeps Pamp (APP), Leonurus japonicas Houtt (LJH), and Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruit (GJE) have been traditionally used in East Asia to treat women's diseases related to reproductive system. They may attenuate the deterioration of energy, lipid, glucose and bone metabolism by estrogen deficiency. The present study explored the combination of APP, LJH, and GJE to overcome the symptoms of estrogen deficiency and the mechanism was explored.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovariectomized (OVX) rats were divided into five groups and fed high-fat diets supplemented with 2 % dextrin (control), 2 % APP, 2 % APP + LJH (15:5), APP + LJH + GJE (10:5:5) or 17β-estradiol (30 μg/kg bw/day) for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of their consumption, energy, lipid, glucose and bone metabolisms were investigated and hepatic insulin signaling and fatty acid metabolism were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  APP + LJH + GJE, but not APP itself, improved energy metabolism and attenuated a decrease in energy expenditure by the same amount as estrogen. Moreover, APP + LJH + GJE reduced visceral fat and intramuscular fat and increased lean body mass measured by DEXA by as much as the positive-control. APP itself suppressed increased LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in OVX rats and APP + LJH + GJE alleviated dyslipidemia in OVX rats. Overnight-fasted serum insulin levels and HOMA-IR were reduced in the descending order of APP, APP + LJH, APP + LJH + GJE, positive-control in OVX rats. APP and APP + LJH elevated insulin secretion in the 1st part of OGTT to decrease serum glucose levels while APP + LJH + GJE reduced serum glucose levels without increasing serum insulin levels during OGTT. APP + LJH + GJE decreased insulin resistance during ITT in OVX rats more than the positive-control. The APP + LJH + GJE group exhibited increased hepatic peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α expression, which increased the number of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation and decreased fatty acid synthesis. Hepatic insulin signaling (pAkt and pGSK-1β) was also potentiated to reduce phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase proteins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of APP + LJH + GJE attenuated various menopausal symptoms in OVX rats. Thus, it may have potential as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Food Functional Research Division, Korean Food Research Institutes, Sungnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Food Functional Research Division, Korean Food Research Institutes, Sungnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Food Functional Research Division, Korean Food Research Institutes, Sungnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Obesity/Diabetes Center, Hoseo University, Asan, Korea.
authors.forename: Bo Reum
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Obesity/Diabetes Center, Hoseo University, Asan, Korea.
authors.forename: A Reum
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Obesity/Diabetes Center, Hoseo University, Asan, Korea.
authors.forename: Suna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Obesity/Diabetes Center, Hoseo University, Asan, Korea. smpark@hoseo.edu.|Department of Food and Nutrition, Hoseo University, 165 Sechul-Ri, BaeBang-Yup Asan-Si, Asan, ChungNam-Do, 336-795, South Korea. smpark@hoseo.edu.
authors.forename: Sunmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000172:deficiency*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D005638:Fruit; D032062:Gardenia / Q000737:chemistry; D015870:Gene Expression; D031332:Leonurus / Q000737:chemistry; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D010052:Ovariectomy; D000071248:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004967:Estrogens; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005419:Flavonoids; D000071248:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; C501429:Ppargc1a protein, rat
keywords: Estrogen deficiency; Glucose; Insulin; Lipid profiles; PGC-1α