Abstract
Estrogen deficiency is associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, and increased insulin resistance in postmenopausal women. An efficient therapeutic agent prevents or improves postmenopausal conditions induced by estrogen deficiency. Here, we investigated the effects of aqueous Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb. extract on glucose and lipid metabolism in ovariectomized rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Female Sprague-Dawley rats were sham-operated or ovariectomized, and 3 weeks later were assigned to the following groups: sham-operated + HFD (S); ovariectomized + HFD (OVX); and ovariectomized + HFD with 0.5% A. pilosa aqueous extract (OVX + 0.5A) groups. Ovariectomy significantly increased body weight and dietary intake relative to the S group. However, A. pilosa treatment did not significantly affect weight gain or dietary intake. Blood triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels tended to decrease in the A. pilosa-supplemented group. Blood glucose levels were significantly lower in the OVX + 0.5A group than those in the OVX group. Blood adiponectin and insulin concentrations increased significantly after A. pilosa treatment in the ovariectomized group. A. pilosa supplementation tended to decrease liver weights and prevented lipid accumulation. These effects correlated with reduced hepatic expression of lipogenesis-related genes (fatty acid synthase, acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase alpha, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase). Therefore, A. pilosa may improve metabolic disorders in ovariectomized rats.
Highlights
Postmenopausal women often show marked increases in the incidence of many chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, and osteoporosis [1,2,3].Estrogen deficiency is related to a higher risk of progressing to liver steatosis in postmenopausal women [4]
The objective of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of aqueous A. pilosa extract on hyperglycemia and hepatic steatosis induced by estrogen deficiency in an experiment model of postmenopausal metabolic syndrome
There was no significant difference between the OVX and OVX + 0.5A groups
Summary
Postmenopausal women often show marked increases in the incidence of many chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, and osteoporosis [1,2,3]. Estrogen deficiency is related to a higher risk of progressing to liver steatosis in postmenopausal women [4]. Hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) can be administered for chronic-disease prevention and menopausal-symptom improvement in postmenopausal women [5,6]. Data from many studies showed that long-term HRT is not a favorable solution for treating postmenopausal women because it poses increased risks for stroke and breast cancer [7,8]. Complex risk-versus-benefit patterns in HRT are making postmenopausal women seek alternative treatments for their symptoms ( phytoestrogens). Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant-derived compounds found in diverse common foods such as soybeans, fruits, and vegetables [9,10] in the form of polyphenols, flavonoids, Nutrients 2020, 12, 1631; doi:10.3390/nu12061631 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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