• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.354-360
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• 2020

The hair cycle (anagen, catagen, and telogen) is regulated by the interaction between mesenchymal cells and epithelial cells in the hair follicles. The proliferation of dermal papilla cells (DPCs), mesenchymal-derived fibroblasts, has emerged as a target for the regulation of the hair cycle. Here, we show that vanillic acid, a phenolic acid from wheat bran, promotes the proliferation of DPCs via a PI3K/Akt/Wnt/β-catenin dependent mechanism. Vanillic acid promoted the proliferation of DPCs, accompanied by increased levels of cell-cycle proteins cyclin D1, CDK6, and Cdc2 p34. Vanillic acid also increased the levels of phospho(ser473)-Akt, phospho(ser780)-pRB, and phospho(thr37/46)-4EBP1 in a time-dependent manner. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of the PI3K/Akt pathway, attenuated the vanillic acid-mediated proliferation of DPCs. Vanillic acid-induced progression of the cell-cycle was also suppressed by wortmannin. Moreover, vanillic acid increased the levels of Wnt/β-catenin proteins, such as phospho(ser9)-glycogen synthase kinase-3β, phospho(ser552)-β-catenin, and phospho(ser675)-β-catenin. We found that vanillic acid increased the levels of cyclin D1 and Cox-2, which are target genes of β-catenin, and these changes were inhibited by wortmannin. To investigate whether vanillic acid affects the downregulation of β-catenin by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), implicated in the development of androgenetic alopecia, DPCs were stimulated with DHT in the presence and absence of vanillic acid for 24 h. Western blotting and confocal microscopy analyses showed that the decreased level of β-catenin after the incubation with DHT was reversed by vanillic acid. These results suggest that vanillic acid could stimulate anagen and alleviate hair loss by activating the PI3K/Akt and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in DPCs.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.389-398
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to evaluate anti-obesity activity of Cirsium setidens Nakai test material (CNTM) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and obese C57BL/6J mice fed with a high-fat diet using various obesity-related in vitro experiments. During adipocyte differentiation, CNTM significantly inhibited lipid accumulation and ROS production compared to controls. To evaluate whether CNTM could exert glycerol release effects on mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we treated cells with various concentrations of CNTM for 1 h. Treatment of mature adipocytes with $160-320{\mu}g/mL$ of CNTM increased the release of glycerol, but not in a significant dose-dependent manner. Anti-adipogenic and anti-lipogenic effects of CNTM seemed to be mediated by the inhibition of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and $C/EBP{\alpha}$. Moreover, CNTM stimulated fatty acid oxidation in an AMPK-dependent manner. CNTM-treated groups of C57BL/6J mice showed reduced body weights and adipose tissue weight with improving serum lipid profiles and adiponectin protein expression in obese C57BL/6J mice fed with a high-fat diet. These results suggest that CNTM might have anti-obesity effect on adipogenesis and lipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo. This presents the possibility of developing a treatment for obesity using nontoxic natural resources.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.233-240
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• 2017

Previously, we have shown that Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (S. chinensis) has a protective effect against endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced hepatic steatosis. Gomisin A is a bioactive phytoestrogen derived from S. chinensis. In the present study, the in vitro and in vivo effects of gomisin A on ER stress and hepatic steatosis were investigated. We quantified the expression of markers of ER stress, including glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78), C/EBP homolog protein (CHOP), and X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP-1), in HepG2 cells treated with tunicamycin or palmitate. Tunicamycin treatment in HepG2 cells induced the expression of markers of ER stress, including GRP78, CHOP, and XBP-1c. However, treatment with gomisin A reduced the expression of markers of ER stress. These inhibitory effects were also observed in palmitate-incubated HepG2 cells. The in vivo inhibitory effects of gomisin A were assessed in mice injected with tunicamycin or fed with a high fat diet (HFD). Gomisin A reduced the expression of markers of ER stress and decreased triglyceride levels in the livers of mice after tunicamycin injection or HFD feeding. Furthermore, gomisin A decreased the expression of inflammatory genes in palmitate-incubated HepG2 cells and the liver of HFD-fed obese mice. These results suggest that gomisin A inhibits ER stress and ameliorates hepatic steatosis induced by ER stress.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.299-306
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• 2015

Chrysanthemum zawadskii, a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Compositae, grows wild in Asian countries, including Japan, China, and Korea. The biological, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities of C. zawadskii have been reported, its antiobesity activity has not been elucidated. In the present study, the effect of C. zawadskii methanol extract (CZME) on pancreatic lipase enzyme activity, adipocyte differentiation, and adipogenesis was investigated using an in vitro assay and a cell model system. CZME effectively suppressed lipase enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner. CZME also inhibited insulin, dexamethasone, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (MDI)-induced adipocyte differentiation, lipid accumulation, and the level of triglyceride in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner, without cytotoxicity. The antiobesity effect of CZME might be modulated by gene and protein expression of cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBP) α, C/EBPβ, and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR γ). CZME also triggered lipolysis in a dose-dependent manner in MDI-induced 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Taken together, these results provide important new insights into the antiobesity activities of C. zawadskii, showing that they involve pancreatic lipase inhibition, as well as antiadipogenic and lipolysis effects. CZME might be a promising source in the field of nutraceuticals. However, the active compounds that confer the antiobesity activities of CZME need to be identified.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.401-408
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• 2017

Salvia plebeia R. Br. (Lamiaceae) has been used in folk medicines in Asian countries, including Korea and China, to treat inflammatory diseases. The focus of our research was on the anti-adipogenic activity of ethanol extract from Salvia plebeia R. Br. (SPE) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This study investigated inhibition of differentiation and lipogenesis upon SPE treatment in 3T3-L1 cells. The results reveal that SPE at non-cytotoxic concentration significantly suppressed triglyceride accumulation and reduced expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-alpha, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein as adipogenic transcription factors in 3T3-L1 adipocytes compared to non-treated control cells. Inducible phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase, acetyl CoA carboxylase, and hormone-sensitive lipase as well as carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 mRNA expression increased upon SPE treatment, which suppressed expression of fatty acid synthase. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that SPE can inhibit expression of adipogenic genes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our study suggests that SPE has potential anti-obesity effects and is a novel therapeutic functional agent with anti-adipogenic activity via reduction of lipogenesis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.523-528
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• 2017

This study investigate the effects of extracts of five species of Korean native forest plants on lipid accumulation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production during the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Our results show that Korean native forest plants extracts significantly reduced lipid accumulation and ROS production during adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Especially, Rubus coreanus Miq. was most effective in the inhibition of lipid accumulation and ROS production at a concentration of $100{\mu}g/mL$. Moreover, Rubus coreanus Miq. extracts significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation, which is dependent on down-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha, and adipocyte-specific fatty acid binding protein, a key adipogenic transcription factor. Therefore, these results suggest that Rubus coreanus Miq. might be a valuable source of bioactive compounds with anti-adipogenic activity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.483-489
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• 2005

To understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate intramuscular fat deposition and its release, cDNA clones expressed in adipose tissues of Korean cattle were identified by differential screening from adipose tissue cDNA library. By partial nucleotide sequencing of 486 clones and a search for sequence similarity in NCBI nucleotide databases, 245 clones revealed unique clones. By a functional grouping of the clones, 14% of the clones were categorized to metabolism and enzyme-related group (stearoyl CoA desaturase, lactate dehydrogenase, fatty acid synthase, ATP citrate lyase, lipoprotein lipase, acetyl CoA synthetase, etc), and 6% to signal transduction/cell cycle-related group (C/EBP, cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, calmodulin, cyclin G1, cyclin H, etc), and 4% to cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix components (vimentin, ankyrin 2, gelosin, syntenin, talin, prefoldin 5). The obtained 245 clones will be useful to study lipid metabolism and signal transduction pathway in adipose tissues and to study obesity in human. Some clones were subjected to full-sequencing containing open reading frame. The cDNA clone of bovine homolog of human prefoldin 5 gene had a total length of 959 nucleotides coding for 139 amino acids. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of bovine prefoldin 5 with those of human and mouse showed over 95% identity. The cDNA clone of bovine homolog of human ubiquitin-like/S30 ribosomal fusion protein gene had a total length of 484 nucleotides coding for 133 amino acids. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of bovine ubiquitin-like/S30 ribosomal fusion protein gene with those of human, rat and mouse showed over 97% identity. The cDNA clone of bovine homolog of human proteolipid protein 2 mRNA had a total length of 928 nucleotides coding for 152 amino acids. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of bovine proteolipid protein 2 with those of human and mouse showed 87.5% similarity. The cDNA clone of bovine homolog of rat thymosin beta 4 had a total length of 602 nucleotides coding for 44 amino acids. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of bovine thymosin beta 4 gene with those of human, mouse and rat showed 93.1% similarity. The cDNA clone of bovine homolog of human myotrophin mRNA had a total length of 790 nucleotides coding for 118 amino acids. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of bovine myotrophin gene with those of human, mouse and rat showed 83.9% similarity. The functional role of these clones in adipose tissues needs to be established.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.11
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• pp.1293-1299
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• 2017

Obesity contributes to the development of diseases, such as type II diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and cancer. In addition, oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is recognized widely as a contributing factor in the development of chronic diseases. This study was examined the antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. 3T3-L1 cells were differentiated with or without EGCG for 6 days. The production of glutathione (GSH) and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, such as glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured. EGCG inhibited significantly the lipid accumulation and the expression of adipogenic specific proteins including CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ${\alpha}$ and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein. The production of intracellular ROS was decreased significantly by EGCG in 3T3-L1 cells. EGCG increased the GSH production and the activities of GPx, GR, CAT, and SOD. Moreover, EGCG increased the protein expression of glutamate-cysteine ligase and heme oxygenase-1 in 3T3-L1 cells. These results suggest that EGCG increased the activity and expression of antioxidant enzymes and suppressed the lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells. Therefore, the use of phytochemicals that can maintain the GSH redox balance in adipose tissue could be promising for reducing obesity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.498-504
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• 2014

Allium senescens L. is perennial plant of the Liliaceae family that grows throughout Korea. In this study, we investigated the effect of Allium senescens L. methanol extracts on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and lipid accumulation during adipogenesis. Our results indicated that 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity of Allium senescens L. methanol extracts increased in a dose-dependent manner. Allium senescens L. methanol extracts suppressed ROS production and lipid accumulation during adipogenesis. In addition, Allium senescens L. methanol extracts inhibited the mRNA expression of the pro-oxidant enzyme, such as G6PDH and lead to a reduction in the mRNA levels of the transcription factors, such as sterol regulatory element binding proteins 1c, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins ${\alpha}$. These results indicate that Allium senescens L. methanol extracts inhibit adipogenesis by modulating ROS production associated with ROS-regulating genes and directly down-regulating adipogenic transcription factors.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.179-183
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• 2010

This study is to characterize the postulated anti-inflammatory effect of the hot water extracts from the Phellinus baumii. RAW264.7, macrophage cell line, was activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and, further, treated with Phellinus baumii's aqueous extract. When the cultured macrophage cells were treated with LPS, they show typical signs of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and an increment in secretion of inflammatory cytokine compared to the non-treated control: The expression of glucose-regulated protein78 (Grp78), Grp94, and C/EBP homologous protein/GADD 153 (CHOP) increased along with augmented secretion of interlukin-6. Cellular nitric oxide content also significantly went up in comparison to the non-LPS treatment. When the LPS-treated RAW264.7 was treated with the aqueous Phellinus baumii extracts, however, the expression of ERS markers markedly reduced and the release of nitric oxide declined. Also, the expression of induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) notably diminished similarly as the NO content. In conclusion, this study strongly indicated that aqueous Phellinus baumii extract can be utilized directly as anti-inflammation agent and serves as a source of functional ingredient to lessen the inflammation.