Abstract
The consumption of plant-based food is important for health promotion, especially regarding the prevention and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes. We investigated the effects of a lemon extract (LE), containing ≥20.0% total flavanones and ≥1.0% total hydroxycinnamic acids, on insulin signaling in murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with TNF-α, which was used to mimic in vitro the insulin resistance condition that characterizes diabetes mellitus. Our results showed LE increased PPARγ, GLUT4 and DGAT-1 levels, demonstrating the potential of this lemon extract in the management of insulin resistance conditions associated with TNF-α pathway activation. LE treatment further decreased the release of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and restored triglyceride synthesis, which is the main feature of a healthy adipocyte.
Highlights
The worldwide ever-increasing incidence of obesity has brought scientists to focus on understanding adipocyte functions and the biochemical mechanisms by which adipose tissue plays its role as an active endocrine tissue
The insulin resistance condition caused by tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) determined a decrease in PPAR-γ, insulin-regulated glucose transporter Glucose Transporter 4 (GLUT4) and fatty acid esterification simultaneously [9,10]
Natural products have been used for centuries in the treatment of diabetes; in particular, many flavonoids contained in citrus fruits have shown potential antidiabetic effects due to their ability to reduce oxidative stress, improve glucose tolerance, modulate adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism and suppress inflammation [13,14,15,16]
Summary
The worldwide ever-increasing incidence of obesity has brought scientists to focus on understanding adipocyte functions and the biochemical mechanisms by which adipose tissue plays its role as an active endocrine tissue. Adipokines are adipose-derived bioactive peptides involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses and metabolism, showing both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory activities. TNF-α overexpression has been strictly correlated to adipose tissue dysfunction resulting in inflammation, augmented lipolysis, impairment of glucose uptake and insulin resistance (IR) [3]. IR has been described as a chronic low-grade inflammatory state in which insulin activity is impaired in adipose tissue. Several studies [7,8] have assessed that polyphenols possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, in particular it has been shown the flavonoids ability to improve insulin-sensitivity and regulate lipid metabolism. Aim of this study was to evaluate lemon extract capability to restore adipocyte functions and insulin sensitivity in a model of TNF-α-induced insulin resistance
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