The Extract of Herbal Medicines Activates AMP-Activated Protein Kinase in Diet-Induced Obese Rats. (7th March 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shin, Hye-Yeon; Chung, SaeYeon; Kim, Soon Re; Lee, Ji-Hye; Seo, Hye-Sook; Shin, Yong-Cheol; Ko, Seong-Gyu
• Other Names: Thounaojam Menaka C. Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine. Volume 2013(2013)
• Publication Date: 2013-03-07
• Subjects: Alternative medicine -- Periodicals; 615.505
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/756025
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1741-427X

Abstract

Abstract : Our study investigated whether the extract of six herbal medicines (OB-1) has an inhibitory effect on obesity. High-fat diet-(HFD-) induced rats and controls were treated with 40 mg/100 g body weight of OB-1 or saline once a day for 5 weeks. After significant changes in body weight were induced, OB-1 and saline were administered to each subgroup of HFD and control groups for additional 5 weeks. No statistically significant decrease of body weight in OB-1-treated rats was found compared to controls. However, OB-1-treated rats were found to be more active in an open-field test and have a reduction in the size of adipocytes compared to controls. We observed no changes in the mRNA expressions of leptin and adiponectin from adipocytes between OB-1- and saline-treated rats with HFD-induced obesity group. However, OB-1 treatments were shown to be inversely correlated with accumulation of lipid droplets in liver tissue, suggesting that OB-1 could inhibit a lipid accumulation by blocking the pathway related to lipid metabolism. Moreover, the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was significantly increased in OB-1-treated rats with HFD compared to controls. These results suggest that OB-1 has no direct antiobesity effect and, however, could be a regulator of cellular metabolism.