Protective Effects of Licochalcone A Ameliorates Obesity and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Via Promotion of the Sirt-1/AMPK Pathway in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.
Chian-Jiun LiouYau-Ker LeeNai-Chun TingYa-Ling ChenSzu-Chuan ShenShu-Ju WuWen-Chung HuangPublished in: Cells (2019)
Licochalcone A is a chalcone isolated from Glycyrrhiza uralensis. It showed anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties in mice with acute lung injuries and regulated lipid metabolism through the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in hepatocytes. However, the effects of licochalcone A on reducing weight gain and improving nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are unclear. Thus, the present study investigated whether licochalcone A ameliorated weight loss and lipid metabolism in the liver of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed an HFD to induce obesity and NAFLD, and then were injected intraperitoneally with licochalcone A. In another experiment, a fatty liver cell model was established by incubating HepG2 hepatocytes with oleic acid and treating the cells with licochalcone A to evaluate lipid metabolism. Our results demonstrated that HFD-induced obese mice treated with licochalcone A had decreased body weight as well as inguinal and epididymal adipose tissue weights compared with HFD-treated mice. Licochalcone A also ameliorated hepatocyte steatosis and decreased liver tissue weight and lipid droplet accumulation in liver tissue. We also found that licochalcone A significantly regulated serum triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and free fatty acids, and decreased the fasting blood glucose value. Furthermore, in vivo and in vitro, licochalcone A significantly decreased expression of the transcription factor of lipogenesis and fatty acid synthase. Licochalcone A activated the sirt-1/AMPK pathway to reduce fatty acid chain synthesis and increased lipolysis and β-oxidation in hepatocytes. Licochalcone A can potentially ameliorate obesity and NAFLD in mice via activation of the sirt1/AMPK pathway.
Keyphrases
- high fat diet
- insulin resistance
- high fat diet induced
- adipose tissue
- fatty acid
- skeletal muscle
- weight loss
- weight gain
- protein kinase
- metabolic syndrome
- transcription factor
- blood glucose
- type diabetes
- glycemic control
- liver injury
- drug induced
- body mass index
- oxidative stress
- bariatric surgery
- diabetic rats
- nitric oxide
- anti inflammatory
- roux en y gastric bypass
- physical activity
- cell proliferation
- acute respiratory distress syndrome
- liver failure
- cell death
- high resolution
- ischemia reperfusion injury
- low density lipoprotein
- mouse model
- birth weight
- long non coding rna
- preterm birth
- high glucose
- cell cycle arrest
- atomic force microscopy