scholarly journals Alcohol extract of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) reduces fatty liver, dyslipidemia, and other complications of metabolic syndrome in a mouse model

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (9) ◽  
pp. 1046-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ratnesh K. Singh ◽  
Edmund Lui ◽  
David Wright ◽  
Adrian Taylor ◽  
Marica Bakovic

We investigated whether North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) could reduce development of the metabolic syndrome phenotype in a mouse model (ETKO) of the disease. Young ETKO mice have no disease but similar to humans start to develop the fatty liver, hypertriglyceridemia, obesity, and insulin resistance at 25–30 weeks of age, and the disease continues to progress with ageing. ETKO mice were orally given an ethanol extract of ginseng roots at 4 and 32 weeks of age. Treatments with ginseng eliminated the ETKO fatty liver, reduced hepatic and intestinal lipoprotein secretion, and reduced the level of circulating lipids. Improvements by ginseng treatments were manifested as a reduction in the expression of genes involved in the regulation of fatty acid and triglyceride (fat) synthesis and secretion by the lipoproteins on one hand, and the stimulation of fatty acid oxidation and triglyceride degradation by lipolysis on the other hand. These processes altogether improved glucose, fatty acid, and triglyceride metabolism, reduced liver fat load, and reversed the progression of metabolic syndrome. These data confirm that treatments with North American ginseng could alleviate metabolic syndrome through the maintenance of a better balance between glucose and fatty acid metabolism, lipoprotein secretion, and energy homeostasis in disease-prone states.

Circulation ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 116 (suppl_16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoyuki Yasuda ◽  
Tatsuro Ishida ◽  
Yoko Kojima ◽  
Hanayo Tanaka ◽  
Takeaki Okada ◽  
...  

The metabolic syndrome includes high triglyceride (TG) and low HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in the plasma, and often accompanies steatosis in the liver. Endothelial lipase (EL) is a phospholipase that regulates HDL metabolism. EL is expressed by hepatocytes, while the function of EL in the liver has not been identified. Here, we examined the role of EL in the liver using a mouse model of metabolic syndrome. The EL expression in the liver was analyzed by real-time PCR. It revealed that liver EL expression was significantly increased in obese and diabetic db/db mice compared to that of control mice. To examine the significance of the EL upregulation in the liver, we injected the recombinant adenovirus encoding human EL into mice. The EL overexpression in the liver resulted in a significant decrease in plasma HDL-C, TG, and free fatty acid levels. Interestingly, the EL overexpression in the liver increased liver weight and liver TG content both in wild-type and db/db mice. In db/db mice, particularly, EL overexression accelerated the formation of steatosis by increasing the mRNA level of fatty acid synthase. These findings indicate that EL expression is increased in the liver in the metabolic syndrome. The upregulation of EL promotes the uptake of plasma lipids by hepatocytes, and accelerates the progression of steatosis in db/db mice. Thus EL may play a role in the genesis of steatosis as well as dyslipidemia in the metabolic syndrome.


2012 ◽  
Vol 302 (5) ◽  
pp. E576-E584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola J. A. Scott ◽  
Vicky A. Cameron ◽  
Sara Raudsepp ◽  
Lynley K. Lewis ◽  
Evan R. Simpson ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to create a comprehensive mouse model of the metabolic syndrome by crossing aromatase-deficient ( ArKO) mice with apolipoprotein E-deficient ( ApoE−/−) mice. Successive crossbreeding of ArKO with ApoE−/−-deficient mice generated double knockout, MetS-Tg mice. The phenotypic characteristics of the MetS-Tg mice were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 mo of age and compared with age- and sex-matched wild-type (WT) controls. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded by a noninvasive, computerized tail-cuff system. Oral glucose and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance tests were performed. Serum cholesterol levels were measured by a combined quantitative colorimetric assay. Plasma adiponectin, C-reactive protein (CRP), insulin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), leptin, resistin, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by multiplexed ELISA. MetS-Tg mice displayed significantly increased body weight, central obesity, and elevated blood pressure at all three ages compared with WT mice. Elevated serum cholesterol was associated with higher triglycerides and LDL/VLDL cholesterol particles and was accompanied by a decrease in HDL and histological evidence of fatty liver. MetS-Tg mice of all ages showed impaired glucose tolerance. At 12 mo, MetS-Tg mice had elevated plasma levels of CRP, IL-6, leptin, and TNF-α, but resistin levels were largely unchanged. We now report that this combination of gene knockouts produces a novel strain of mice that display the diverse clinical features of the metabolic syndrome, including central obesity, progressive hypertension, an adverse serum lipid profile, fatty liver, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and evidence of an inflammatory state.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 270
Author(s):  
Luca Rinaldi ◽  
Pia Clara Pafundi ◽  
Raffaele Galiero ◽  
Alfredo Caturano ◽  
Maria Vittoria Morone ◽  
...  

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are two different entities sharing common clinical and physio-pathological features, with insulin resistance (IR) as the most relevant. Large evidence leads to consider it as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, regardless of age, sex, smoking habit, cholesterolemia, and other elements of MS. Therapeutic strategies remain still unclear, but lifestyle modifications (diet, physical exercise, and weight loss) determine an improvement in IR, MS, and both clinical and histologic liver picture. NAFLD and IR are bidirectionally correlated and, consequently, the development of pre-diabetes and diabetes is the most direct consequence at the extrahepatic level. In turn, type 2 diabetes is a well-known risk factor for multiorgan damage, including an involvement of cardiovascular system, kidney and peripheral nervous system. The increased MS incidence worldwide, above all due to changes in diet and lifestyle, is associated with an equally significant increase in NAFLD, with a subsequent rise in both morbidity and mortality due to both metabolic, hepatic and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the slowdown in the increase of the “bad company” constituted by MS and NAFLD, with all the consequent direct and indirect costs, represents one of the main challenges for the National Health Systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1567
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Konończuk ◽  
Eryk Latoch ◽  
Beata Żelazowska-Rutkowska ◽  
Maryna Krawczuk-Rybak ◽  
Katarzyna Muszyńska-Rosłan

Childhood cancer survivors are highly exposed to the development of side effects after many years of cessation of anticancer treatment, including altered lipid metabolism that may result in an increased risk of overweight and metabolic syndrome. Adipocyte (A-FABP) and epidermal (E-FABP) fatty acid-binding proteins are expressed in adipocytes and are assumed to play an important role in the development of lipid disturbances leading to the onset of metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum A-FABP and E-FABP levels, overweight, and components of the metabolic syndrome in acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors. Sixty-two acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors (34 females) were included in the study. The mean age at the time of the study was 12.41 ± 4.98 years (range 4.71–23.43). Serum levels of A-FABP and E-FABP were analyzed using a commercially available ELISA kit. The ALL survivors presented statistically higher A-FABP levels in comparison with the healthy controls (25.57 ± 14.46 vs. 15.13 ± 7.61 ng/mL, p < 0.001). The subjects with body mass index (BMI) above the normal range (18 overweight, 10 obese) had a greater level of A-FABP compared to the ALL group with normal BMI (32.02 ± 17.10 vs. 20.33 ± 9.24 ng/mL, p = 0.006). Of all participants, 53.23% had at least one risk factor of metabolic syndrome; in this group, only the A-FABP level showed a statistically significant difference compared to the healthy control group (30.63 ± 15.91 vs. 15.13 ± 7.61 ng/mL, p < 0.001). The subjects with two or more metabolic risk factors (16.13%) presented higher levels of both A-FABP (33.62 ± 17.16 vs. 15.13 ± 7.61 ng/mL, p = 0.001) and E-FABP (13.37 ± 3.62 vs. 10.12 ± 3.21 ng/mL, p = 0.021) compared to the controls. Univariable regression models showed significant associations between BMI and systolic blood pressure with the A-FABP level (coeff. 1.02 and 13.74, respectively; p < 0.05). In contrast, the E-FABP level was only affected by BMI (coeff. 0.48; p < 0.01). The findings reported herein suggest that the increased levels of A-FABP and E-FABP may be involved in the pathogenesis of overweight and the onset of metabolic syndrome in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, further longitudinal, prospective studies of fatty acid-binding proteins and their potential role in the pathogenesis of obesity and metabolic syndrome in ALL survivors remain to be performed.


2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 999-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.M. Roche

Nutrition is a key environmental factor that is particularly involved in the pathogenesis and progression of several polygenic, diet-related diseases. Nutrigenomics refers to the interaction between nutrition and the human genome. Dietary fatty acids interact with multiple nutrient-sensitive transcription factors. This explains the molecular basis of some of the health effects associated with altered dietary fatty acid composition. The metabolic syndrome is a very common condition, characterized by insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, dyslipidaemia and hypertension. It often precedes Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Several lines of evidence suggest that the interaction between nutrient-derived metabolic stressors and pro-inflammatory signals play an important role in the aetiology of insulin resistance and the development of the metabolic syndrome. This paper will address the interaction between several nutrient-sensitive transcription factors, including SREBP (sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein) and NFκB (nuclear factor κB), demonstrating how this interaction may be altered with dietary fatty acid interventions.


2010 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bernadette Moore

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the most common liver disease in both adults and children worldwide. As a disease spectrum, NAFLD may progress from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. An estimated 20–35% of the general population has steatosis, 10% of whom will develop the more progressive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis associated with markedly increased risk of cardiovascular- and liver-related mortality. Development of NAFLD is strongly linked to components of the metabolic syndrome including obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia and type 2 diabetes. The recognition that NAFLD is an independent risk factor for CVD is a major public health concern. There is a great need for a sensitive non-invasive test for the early detection and assessment of the stage of NAFLD that could also be used to monitor response to treatment. The cellular and molecular aetiology of NAFLD is multi-factorial; genetic polymorphisms influencing NAFLD have been identified and nutrition is a modifiable environmental factor influencing NAFLD progression. Weight loss through diet and exercise is the primary recommendation in the clinical management of NAFLD. The application of systems biology to the identification of NAFLD biomarkers and factors involved in NAFLD progression is an area of promising research.


2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgard Delvin ◽  
Natasha Patey ◽  
Josée Dubois ◽  
Melanie Henderson ◽  
Émile Lévy

Summary The rapidly increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and its associated co-morbidities such as hypertriglyceridemia, hyper-insulinemia, hypertension, early atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are major public health concerns in many countries. Therefore the trends in child and adolescent obesity should be closely monitored over time, as in the near future, we may anticipate a major increase of young adults with the stigmata of the metabolic syndrome, and of the related non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), that may lead to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.


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