Abstract
We investigated the antiobesity and hypoglycemic properties of Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc (PMA; Japanese apricot) and Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc (LES; gromwell) extracts in ovariectomized (OVX) rats that impaired energy and glucose homeostasis. OVX rats consumed either 5% dextrose, 5% PMA extract, 5% LES extract, or 2.5% PMA+2.5% LES extract in the high fat diet. After 8 weeks of treatment, PMA+LES prevented weight gain and visceral fat accumulation in OVX rats by lowering daily food intake and increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation. PMA+LES prevented the attenuation of leptin and insulin signaling by increasing the expression of leptin receptor in the hypothalamus in OVX rats. PMA+LES significantly reversed the decrease of energy expenditure in OVX rats by increasing expression of UCP-1 in the brown adipose tissues and UCP-2 and UCP-3 in the quadriceps muscles. PMA+LES also increased CPT-1 expression and decreased FAS, ACC, and SREBP-1c in the liver and quadriceps muscles to result in reducing triglyceride accumulation. PMA+LES improved insulin sensitivity in OVX rats. In conclusion, PMA+LES synergistically prevented the impairment of energy, lipid, and glucose metabolism by OVX through potentiating hypothalamic leptin and insulin signaling. PMA+LES may be a useful intervention for alleviating the symptoms of menopause in women.
Highlights
Obesity is global epidemic that increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers [1]
PMA and Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc (LES) suppressed the increases in body weight and visceral fat mass in OVX rats, but PMA+LES combined suppressed them more than either individually, with increases in visceral fat mass and body weight that were similar to the Sham rats (Table 1)
The present study revealed that PMA+LES synergistically prevented the impairment of energy, glucose, and lipid regulation in OVX rats, and the regulation in PMA+LES treated OVX rats was similar to Sham rats
Summary
Obesity is global epidemic that increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers [1]. Insulin resistance is typically associated with these metabolic diseases and decreasing insulin resistance by losing visceral fat often ameliorates these metabolic disturbances, especially hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia [1, 2]. In post-menopausal women, estrogen deficiency is associated with obesity, especially with visceral fat accumulation. OVX rats exhibit similar symptoms as post-menopausal women, including increased visceral fat mass and bone loss [3]. In animals ovariectomy leads to increased feed consumption, hyperphagia, and central fat distribution whereas estrogen replacement decreases feed intake throughout the ovarian cycle [4, 5]. OVX rats fed a high fat diet are a good model for studying the anti-obesity effects of foods
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