Zeitschrift für Adipositas- und Gewichtsverlusttherapie

Abstrakt

Trapa Japonica Inhibits Adipocyte Differentiation and Adipogenesis through Ampk Signaling Pathway in 3t3-L1 Pre-Adipocytes

Cheol Park, Yong Hwang, Buyng Su Hwang, Su Young Shin, Pyo Yun Cho, Seung Young Lee, Kyung-Min Choi, Ki Won Lee, Gi-Young Kim, Yung Hyun Choi, Jin-Woo Jeong

Trapa japonica (water caltrop) is one of the main aquatic plant with various pharmacological functions; however,the effects associated with anti-obesity have not been fully identified. In the present study, we investigated the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis by Hot-Water extracts of T. japonica (WETJ) in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes.Treatment with WETJ suppressed the terminal differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner,as confirmed by a decrease in the lipid droplet number and lipid content through Oil Red O staining. WETJ significantly reduced the accumulation of cellular triglyceride, which is associated with a significant inhibition of pro-adipogenic transcription factors, including PPARγ, C/EBPα and C/EBPβ. In addition, WETJ potentially downregulated the expression of adipocyte-specific genes, including aP2 and leptin. Furthermore, WETJ treatment effectively increased the phosphorylation of the AMPK and ACC; however, treatment with a potent inhibitor of AMPK, compound C, significantly restored the WETJ-induced inhibition of pro-adipogenic transcription factors. These results together indicate that WETJ has preeminent effects on the inhibition of adipogenesis through the AMPK signaling pathway, and further studies will be needed to identify the active compounds in T. japonica.