Effects of Angelica dahurica on obesity and fatty liver in mice.
Angelica dahurica (A. dahurica) is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant being used in clinical practice. The present study demonstrated that A. dahurica could reduce white-fat weight in high-fat-diet hyperlipidemic mice, decrease total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in the livers of both high-fat-diet and Triton WR1339 induced hyperlipidemic mice, and enhance the total hepatic lipase activities of them. These findings were further supported by the results derived from the experiments with HepG2 cells in vitro. In addition, the proteins related to lipids metabolism were investigated using LC-MS/MS, indicating that genes of lipid metabolism and lipid transport were regulated by A. dhurica. The results from LC-MS/MS were further conformed by Western blot and real time PCR assays. A. dahurica could down-regulate the expression of catalase (CAT) and sterol carrier protein2 (SCP2) and up-regulate the expression of lipid metabolism related genes-lipase member C (LIPC) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). In the Triton WR1339 mouse liver and HepG2 cells in vitro, A. dahurica was able to increase the expression of LIPC and PPARγ, confirming the results from in vivo experiments. Imperatorin showed the same activity as A. dahurica, suggesting it was one of the major active ingredients of the herb. In conclusion, our work represented a first investigation demonstrating that A. dahurica was able to regulate lipid metabolism and could be developed as a novel approach to fighting against fatty liver and obesity.
MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Xi
X
Lu
MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Zhi-Yi
ZY
Yuan
MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Xiao-Jin
XJ
Yan
Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Fan
F
Lei
MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Jing-Fei
JF
Jiang
MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Xuan
X
Yu
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing University, Beijing 100069, China.
Xiu-Wei
XW
Yang
MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Dong-Ming
DM
Xing
MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. Electronic address: lijundu@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.
Li-Jun
LJ
DU
D029969:Angelica / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D047495:PPAR gamma; D014280:Triglycerides; C072087:sterol carrier proteins; D002784:Cholesterol
Angelica dahurica; Hepatic lipases; Imperatorin; Mouse