scholarly journals Unripe Rubus coreanus Miquel Extract Containing Ellagic Acid Regulates AMPK, SREBP-2, HMGCR, and INSIG-1 Signaling and Cholesterol Metabolism In Vitro and In Vivo

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ki Hoon Lee ◽  
Eui-Seon Jeong ◽  
Goeun Jang ◽  
Ju-Ryun Na ◽  
Soyi Park ◽  
...  

Our previous study demonstrated that a 5% ethanol extract of unripe Rubus coreanus (5-uRCK) has hypo-cholesterolemic and anti-obesity activity. However, the molecular mechanisms of its effects are poorly characterized. We hypothesized that 5-uRCK and one of its major bioactive compounds, ellagic acid, decrease cellular and plasma cholesterol levels. Thus, we investigated the hypocholesterolemic activity and mechanism of 5-uRCK in both hepatocytes and a high-cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced rat model. Cholesterol in the liver and serum was significantly reduced by 5-uRCK and ellagic acid. The hepatic activities of HMG-CoA and CETP were reduced, and the hepatic activity of LCAT was increased by both 5-uRCK extract and ellagic acid, which also caused histological improvements. The MDA content in the aorta and serum was significantly decreased after oral administration of 5-uRCK or ellagic acid. Further immunoblotting analysis showed that AMPK phosphorylation in the liver was induced by 5-uRCK and ellagic acid, which activated AMPK, inhibiting the activity of HMGCR by inhibitory phosphorylation. In contrast, 5-uRCK and ellagic acid suppressed the nuclear translocation and activation of SREBP-2, which is a key transcription factor in cholesterol biosynthesis. In conclusion, our results suggest that 5-uRCK and its bioactive compound, ellagic acid, are useful alternative therapeutic agents to regulate blood cholesterol.

1999 ◽  
Vol 54 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 371-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meinrad Boll ◽  
Lutz W. D. Weber ◽  
Juliana Plana ◽  
Andreas Stampfl

Abstract The activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCoA reductase; EC 1.1.1.34), rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis, and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.17), key enzyme of the neutral bile acid synthesis pathway, were measured in the microsomal fraction of rat liver and in rat liver cells to investigate the coordinate regulation of the two pathways. Both enzyme activities exhibited the same diurnal rhythm and responded in a coordinate fashion to fasting or bile acid-feeding (decrease) and to cholestyramine-feeding (increase). Cholesterol-feeding decreased the activity of HMGCoA reductase, increased that of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase, and concomitantly increased free cholesterol in microsomes. In an ex vivo setting using primary hepatocytes from animals fed a high cholesterol diet the activity of HMGCoA reductase was initially low and that of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase was elevated. Release of cholesterol into the medium with ongoing incubation caused HMGCoA reductase activity to increase, and that of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase to decline. Incubation of hepatocytes with a cholesterol-containing lipoprotein fraction stimulated the activity of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase, but left HMGCoA reductase activity unaffected. The results confirm the idea of a joint regulation of the two key enzymes of cholesterol metabolism in response to the levels of substrate and metabolites, and support the notion that with respect to bile acid and cholesterol levels, respectively, regulation of HMGCoA reductase activity may be secondary to that of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase. The in vitro studies supply evidence that the effects of cholesterol and bile acid excess or deficiency are direct and do not involve accessory changes of hormone levels or mediators.


2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (12) ◽  
pp. 1617-1628
Author(s):  
Natalie Bruiners ◽  
Noton K. Dutta ◽  
Valentina Guerrini ◽  
Hugh Salamon ◽  
Ken D. Yamaguchi ◽  
...  

The rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis poses a major risk to public health. Statins, which inhibit both cholesterol biosynthesis and protein prenylation branches of the mevalonate pathway, increase anti-tubercular antibiotic efficacy in animal models. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we used an in vitro macrophage infection model to investigate simvastatin’s anti-tubercular activity by systematically inhibiting each branch of the mevalonate pathway and evaluating the effects of the branch-specific inhibitors on mycobacterial growth. The anti-tubercular activity of simvastatin used at clinically relevant doses specifically targeted the cholesterol biosynthetic branch rather than the prenylation branches of the mevalonate pathway. Using Western blot analysis and AMP/ATP measurements, we found that simvastatin treatment blocked activation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through increased intracellular AMP:ATP ratios, and favored nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB). These mechanisms all induce autophagy, which is anti-mycobacterial. The biological effects of simvastatin on the AMPK-mTORC1-TFEB-autophagy axis were reversed by adding exogenous cholesterol to the cells. Our data demonstrate that the anti-tubercular activity of simvastatin requires inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis, reveal novel links between cholesterol homeostasis, the AMPK-mTORC1-TFEB axis, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection control, and uncover new anti-tubercular therapy targets.


1985 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bassat ◽  
S. Mokady

1. The effect of lysine- and threonine-supplemented wheat gluten on cholesterol metabolism was studied using male weanling rats. Animals were fed on cholesterol-free diets containing 100 or 200 g gluten/kg with or without amino acid supplementation, and compared with animals given 50, 100 and 200 g casein/kg diets, for 3 weeks.2. A hypocholesterolaemic effect observed with the wheat gluten-fed rats, compared with the animals given 100 and 200 g casein/kg diets, was accompanied by increased turnover of cholesterol as expressed by enhanced cholesterol biosynthesis and increased faecal excretion of cholesterol and bile acids. This effect was not abolished by lysine and threonine supplementation.3. Low levels of blood cholesterol were also observed in the rats fed on the 50 g casein/kg diet. However, a different mechanism, related to impairment of cholesterol transport from the liver, was most likely responsible for the hypocholesterolaemia found in these protein-malnourished animals.4. The effect on cholesterol metabolism produced by dietary wheat gluten was independent of the low quality of the protein and of its specific deficiency in lysine and threonine.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 401-411
Author(s):  
S Cuthill ◽  
A Wilhelmsson ◽  
L Poellinger

To reconstitute the molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular response to soluble receptor ligands, we have exploited a cell-free system that exhibits signal- (dioxin-)induced activation of the latent cytosolic dioxin receptor to an active DNA-binding species. The DNA-binding properties of the in vitro-activated form were qualitatively indistinguishable from those of in vivo-activated nuclear receptor extracted from dioxin-treated cells. In vitro activation of the receptor by dioxin was dose dependent and was mimicked by other dioxin receptor ligands in a manner that followed the rank order of their relative affinities for the receptor in vitro and their relative potencies to induce target gene transcription in vivo. Thus, in addition to triggering the initial release of inhibition of DNA binding and presumably allowing nuclear translocation, the ligand appears to play a crucial role in the direct control of the level of functional activity of a given ligand-receptor complex.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunqi Zhu ◽  
Xiangmin Tong ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Xiaoya Lu

AbstractAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive and heterogeneous clonal hematologic malignancy for which novel therapeutic targets and strategies are required. Emerging evidence suggests that WTIP is a candidate tumor suppressor. However, the molecular mechanisms of WTIP in leukemogenesis have not been explored. Here, we report that WTIP expression is significantly reduced both in AML cell lines and clinical specimens compared with normal controls, and low levels of WTIP correlate with decreased overall survival in AML patients. Overexpression of WTIP inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies reveal that the apoptotic function of WTIP is mediated by upregulation and nuclear translocation of FOXO3a, a member of Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors involved in tumor suppression. We further demonstrate that WTIP interacts with FOXO3a and transcriptionally activates FOXO3a. Upon transcriptional activation of FOXO3a, its downstream target PUMA is increased, leading to activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Collectively, our results suggest that WTIP is a tumor suppressor and a potential target for therapeutic intervention in AML.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Ling Yang ◽  
Ting-Yu Yang ◽  
Yugandhar Vudhya Gowrisankar ◽  
Chun-Huei Liao ◽  
Jiunn-Wang Liao ◽  
...  

Oxidative stress is an important contributing factor for inflammation. Piper methysticum, also known as Kava-kava, is a shrub whose root extract has been consumed as a drink by the pacific islanders for a long time. Flavokawain A (FKA) is a novel chalcone derived from the kava plant that is known to have medicinal properties. This study was aimed at demonstrating the antioxidant molecular mechanisms mediated by FKA on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced inflammation in BALB/c mouse-derived primary splenocytes. In vitro data show that the nontoxic concentrations of FKA (2-30 μM) significantly suppressed the proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) release but induced the secretion of interleukin-10 (IL-10), an anti-inflammatory cytokine. It was also shown that FKA pretreatment significantly downregulated the LPS-induced ROS production and blocked the activation of the NFκB (p65) pathway leading to the significant suppression of iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-1β protein expressions. Notably, FKA favored the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 leading to the downstream expression of antioxidant proteins HO-1, NQO-1, and γ-GCLC via the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway signifying the FKA’s potent antioxidant mechanism in these cells. Supporting the in vitro data, the ex vivo data obtained from primary splenocytes derived from the FKA-preadministered BALB/c mice (orally) show that FKA significantly suppressed the proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) secretion in control-, LPS-, or Concanavalin A- (Con A-) stimulated cells. A significant decrease in the ratios of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6/IL-10; TNF-α/IL-10) showed that FKA possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, BALB/c mice induced with experimental pancreatitis using cholecystokinin- (CCK-) 8 showed decreased serum lipase levels due to FKA pretreatment. We conclude that with its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, chalcone flavokawain A could be a novel therapeutic agent in the treatment of inflammation-associated diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Xinxin Zhang ◽  
Yating Qin ◽  
Xiaoning Wan ◽  
Hao Liu ◽  
Chao Iv ◽  
...  

Purpose. Hydroxytyrosol (HT) processes multiaspect pharmacological properties such as antithrombosis and antidiabetes. The aim of this study was to explore the antistherosclerotic roles and relevant mechanisms of HT. Methods. Male apoE-/- mice were randomly divided into 2 groups: the control group and the HT group (10 mg/kg/day orally). After 16 weeks, blood tissue, heart tissue, and liver tissue were obtained to detect the atherosclerotic lesions, histological analysis, lipid parameters, and inflammation. And the underlying molecular mechanisms of HT were also studied in vivo and in vitro. Results. HT administration significantly reduced the extent of atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta of apoE-/- mice. We found that HT markedly lowered the levels of serum TG, TC, and LDL-C approximately by 17.4% (p=0.004), 15.2% (p=0.003), and 17.9% (p=0.009), respectively, as well as hepatic TG and TC by 15.0% (p<0.001) and 12.3% (p=0.003), respectively, while inducing a 26.9% (p=0.033) increase in serum HDL-C. Besides, HT improved hepatic steatosis and lipid deposition. Then, we discovered that HT could regulate the signal flow of AMPK/SREBP2 and increase the expression of ABCA1, apoAI, and SRBI. In addition, HT reduced the levels of serum CRP, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 approximately by 23.5% (p<0.001), 27.8% (p<0.001), 18.4% (p<0.001), and 19.1% (p<0.001), respectively, and induced a 1.4-fold increase in IL-10 level (p=0.014). Further, we found that HT might regulate cholesterol metabolism via decreasing phosphorylation of p38, followed by activation of AMPK and inactivation of NF-κB, which in turn triggered the blockade of SREBP2/PCSK9 and upregulation of LDLR, apoAI, and ABCA1, finally leading to a reduction of LDL-C and increase of HDL-C in the circulation. Conclusion. Our results provide the first evidence that HT displays antiatherosclerotic actions via mediating lipid metabolism-related pathways through regulating the activities of inflammatory signaling molecules.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (20) ◽  
pp. 7756
Author(s):  
Jung Hwan Oh ◽  
Fatih Karadeniz ◽  
Chang-Suk Kong ◽  
Youngwan Seo

Cutaneous aging is divided into intrinsic and exogenous aging correspondingly contributing to the complex biological phenomenon in skin. Intrinsic aging is also termed chronological aging, which is the accumulation of inevitable changes over time and is largely genetically determined. Superimposed on this intrinsic process, exogenous aging is associated with environmental exposure, mainly to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and more commonly termed as photoaging. UV-induced skin aging induces increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which in turn causes the collagen degradation. Therefore, MMP inhibitors of natural origin are regarded as a primary approach to prevent or treat photoaging. This study investigated the effects of 3,5-dicaffeoyl-epi-quinic acid (DEQA) on photoaging and elucidated its molecular mechanisms in UVA-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). The results show that treatment with DEQA decreases MMP-1 production and increases type I collagen production in UVA-damaged HDFs. In addition, treatment of UVA-irradiated HDFs with DEQA downregulates MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-9 expression via blocking MAPK-cascade-regulated AP-1 transcriptional activity in UVA-irradiated HDFs. Furthermore, DEQA relieves the UVA-mediated suppression of type I procollagen and collagen expression through stimulating TGF-β/Smad signaling, leading to activation of the Smad 2/3 and Smad 4 nuclear translocation. These results suggest that DEQA could be a potential cosmetic agent for prevention and treatment of skin photoaging.


Author(s):  
Xiao Ding ◽  
Kexia Fan ◽  
Jintao Hu ◽  
Zhenle Zang ◽  
Shunli Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Metabolic reprogramming is an important characteristic of tumors. In the progression of pituitary adenomas (PA), abnormal glucose metabolism has been confirmed by us before. However, whether cholesterol metabolism is involved in the process of PA remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether abnormal cholesterol metabolism could affect the progression of PA. Methods We analyzed the expression of sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2) in 40 surgical PA samples. In vitro experiments and xenograft models were used to assess the effects of SCP2 and cholesterol on proliferation of PA. The incidence of hypercholesterolemia between 140 PA patients and 100 heathy controls were compared. Results We found an upregulation of SCP2 in PA samples, especially in tumors with high proliferation index. Forced expression of SCP2 promoted PA cell lines proliferation in vitro. Furthermore, SCP2 regulated cholesterol trafficking from cytoplasm to membrane in GH3 cells, and extracellularly treating GH3 cells and primary PA cells with methyl-β-cyclodextrin/cholesterol complex to mimic membrane cholesterol concentration enhanced cell proliferation, which suggested a proliferative effect of cholesterol. Mechanistically, cholesterol induced activation of PKA/SUFU/GLI1 signaling via smoothened receptor, which was well-known as Hedgehog signaling, resulting in inhibiting apoptosis and promoting cell cycle. Accordingly, activation of Hedgehog signaling was also confirmed in primary PA cells and surgical PA samples. In vivo, SCP2 overexpression and high cholesterol diet could promote tumor growth. Intriguingly, the incidence of hypercholesterolemia was significantly higher in PA patients than healthy controls. Conclusions Our data indicated that dysregulated cholesterol metabolism could promote PA growth by activating Hedgehog signaling, supporting a potential tumorigenic role of cholesterol metabolism in PA progression.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad B. Hossain ◽  
Rehnuma Shifat ◽  
Jingyi Li ◽  
Xuemei Luo ◽  
Kenneth R. Hess ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT DNA repair pathways are aberrant in cancer, enabling tumor cells to survive standard therapies—chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Our group previously reported that, upon irradiation, the membrane-bound tyrosine kinase receptor TIE2 translocates into the nucleus and phosphorylates histone H4 at Tyr51, recruiting ABL1 to the DNA repair complexes that participate in the nonhomologous end-joining pathway. However, no specific molecular mechanisms of TIE2 endocytosis have been reported. Here, we show that irradiation or ligand-induced TIE2 trafficking is dependent on caveolin-1, the main component of caveolae. Subcellular fractionation and confocal microscopy demonstrated TIE2/caveolin-1 complexes in the nucleus, and using inhibitor or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) against caveolin-1 or Tie2 inhibited their trafficking. TIE2 was found in caveolae and directly phosphorylated caveolin-1 at Tyr14 in vitro and in vivo. This modification regulated the generation of TIE2/caveolin-1 complexes and was essential for TIE2/caveolin-1 nuclear translocation. Our data further demonstrate that the combination of TIE2 and caveolin-1 inhibitors resulted in significant radiosensitization of malignant glioma cells, which will guide the development of combinatorial treatment with radiotherapy for patients with glioblastoma.


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