• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.1023-1030
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• 2002

This study was conducted to examine the effects of dietary xylooligosaccharides on lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activitiy in epididymal adipose tissue and lipid composition in serum of rats fed normal or high fat diet. Male Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing 100 $\pm$ 10 g were randomly divided into four groups, two normal diets and two high fat diets containing 1% cholesterol and 10% lard. Two normal diets were classified into a basal diet (normal group) and that with 10% xylooligosaccharide diet (NX group). The high fat diet groups were classified into a HF group without xylooligosaccharides diet and HFX group supplemented with 10% xylooligosacchride diet. Experimental diets were fed ad libitum to the rats for 4 weeks and then they were sacrificed. Body weight, epididymal weight and abdominal weight in HF group were hevier than the those of normal group, but HFX group was significantly reduced compared to HF group. Relative body weight to epididymal weight and relative body weight to abdominal weight in HF group were increased to 50%, 51%, respectively, compared to normal group, but HFX group was reduced 22%, 16%, respectively, compared to HF group. The levels of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index in HFX groups were significantly lower than those of HF group, whereas HDL-cholesterol levels were significant increased. Triglyceride contents of epididymal adipose tissue in HF group was increased to 39%, compared to normal group, but HFX group was reduced to 15.8%, compared to HF group. Cholesterol contents of epididymal adipose tissue in HF group was increased 121%, compared to normal group, but HFX group was reduced to 26%, compared to HF group. The activity of LPL in epididymal adipose tissue was increased to 259% in HF group, compared to normal group and HFX group was reduced to 66%, compared to HF group. These result of this study suggested that improved lipid metabolism observed in rats fed xylooligosaccharides may be caused by an alteration of LPL activity in epididymal adipose tissue and lipid composition in serum.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.351-360
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• 2018

The adipogenesis is a maturation process of pre-adipocyte cell into mature lipid-filled adipocyte cell. The adipogenesis begins at the late prenatal stage and continues until the early postnatal age. Because the adipogenesis and formation of adipose tissue persist during postnatal period and are precisely regulated by the action of numerous gene products, the present research was attempted to determine the expressional patterns of adipose tissue-associated genes in the rat epididymal fat pad at different postnatal ages, from 7 days to 2 years of ages, using a quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The basal expression levels of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein gamma, sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1, fatty acid binding protein 4, adiponectin, leptin, and resistin at the early postnatal ages were significantly lower than those at the elderly ages, even though a fluctuation of expressional levels was observed at some ages. The lowest expressional level of delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1 was detected at 44 days and 5 months of ages. The expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) was the highest at 44 days of age, followed by a diminished expression of $PPAR{\gamma}$ at the elderly ages. These results indicate the existence of a complex regulatory mechanism(s) for expression of adipose tissueassociated genes in the rat epididymal fat during postnatal period.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.11
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• pp.1522-1527
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• 2009

We investigated the effects of feeding diet containing medicinal plant water extracts (MPWEs) on body weight, epididymal adipose tissue weight, adipocyte size of epididymal adipose tissue and plasma lipid levels in high fat (HF) diet-induced obese mice. To test antiobese effects of diet containing the MPWEs, C57BL/6J mice were fed with HF diet for 11 weeks. In the last 6 weeks, the HF diet was supplemented with 0 (HFD) or MPWEs (5 g/kg, HFD＋MPWEs) or orlistat [0.5 g/kg, HFD＋orlistat (antiobesity drug)]. The HF-free diet group was fed normal chow for 11 weeks. Eleven-weeks feeding with HFD resulted in significant increase in lipid levels, body weight, liver and epididymal adipose tissue weights, compared with the HF-free group. Diet containing MPWEs significantly reduced plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose concentrations as well as body weight, liver weight and epididymal adipose tissue weight. Plasma triglyceride levels were significantly lower in the HFD＋Forlistat group after 6 weeks and a similar effect was found with HFD＋MPWEs group. The adipocyte size of epididymal adipose tissue in HFD group was significantly larger than those of HF-free group. MPWEs and orlistat (positive control) significantly decreased the size of epididymal adipocytes but orlistat was slightly more effective than MPWEs. These results suggest that oral feeding of the MPWEs may have antiobesity effects by suppressing body weight gain, adipose tissue formation and adipocyte size increase.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.8 no.2 s.9
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• pp.75-84
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• 2002

Obesity can be defined as a metabolic disease due to a increased state of fat tissue caused by an imbalance of calorie intake and use. To define genes that affected by different nutrient, we study gene expression from mice which were fed different nutrient. Epididymal and retro-peritineal adipose tissue were increase in high fat diet feeding mice compared with control, but liver and spleen were not. In serum, total cholesterol were differently increase in high fat diet feeding mice but total triglyceride and free fatty acid were not. That was maybe result of energy balance regulation in vivo system. aP2, PPART2 and FAS genes that were increased during adipogenesis were inclosed in high fat diet fed mice compared with control. In microarray assay, 1.4% of total genes were affected in epididymal adipose tissue by different nutrient. 1.1% of total genes were decreased down 0.5 fold and 0.3% were increased over 2 fold. These results indicated that many genes are affected in adipose tissue by nutrient.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.313-322
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• 2019

The epididymal fat pad is a male gonadal adipocyte tissue and is histochemically separated into distal and proximal parts. The development of epididymal fat during postnatal period has not been examined in detail. A previous research showed that expression of adipocyte-associated molecules in the distal epididymal fat of mouse is generally increased as postnatally aged. In the present study, expressional patterns of same adipocyte-associated molecules in the mouse proximal epididymal fat at 2, 5, 8, and 12 months of age were studied by quantitative real-time PCR analysis and were compared with those in the distal epididymal fat. The expressional levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparg), lipoprotein lipase (Lpl), and fatty acid synthase (Fasn) at 5 months of age were significantly lower than those at 2 months of age, while transcript level of leptin (Lep) at 5 months was higher than that at 2 months of age. The transcript levels of all molecules at 8 months of age were significantly increased, compared with those at 2 and 5 months of age. At 12 months of age, expression of delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1 (Dlk1) was further significantly increased, while there was no change on the transcript level of Pparg and significant decreases of Fabp4, Retn, Lpl, Lep, Fasn, and adiponectin (Adipoq) transcript levels. The current findings show that expressional patterns of molecules associated with adipocyte in the proximal epididymal fat is somewhat different with those of the distal epididymal fat, suggesting the existence of regional variance in the epididymal fat.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.195-207
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate how Rhei Radix et Rhizoma affects on insulin resistance and adipose tissue inflammatory response in high fat diet induced obese C57BL/6 mice. Methods : Obesity was induced in C57BL/6 mice by high fat diet for 12 weeks. Models were divided into 3 groups (n=6) of normal diet, high fat diet (HFD), and high fat diet with Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and investigated for 12 weeks. We measured body weight, FBS and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), serum insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), weight of liver and epididymal fat pad. Inflammatory markers such as adipose tissue macrophage (ATM), tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interlukin-10 and CD68 of epididymal adipocyte were determined to evaluate the effect of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma on adipose tissue inflammation. Results : Compared with the HFD group, we observed loss of body weight and epididymal fat pad weight, improvement of glucose level and HOMA-IR, reduction of ATM and gene expression of TNF-${\alpha}$, CD68 in the high fat diet with Rhei Radix et Rhizoma group. Conclusions : This study suggests that Rhei Radix et Rhizoma has effects on insulin resistance and adipose tissue inflammatory response in high fat diet induced obese mice.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.298-302
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• 2009

We investigated the anti-obesity effect of berberine in mice fed a high fat diet and focused on the analysis of adipogenesis in epdidymal adipose tissue. Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups, which were fed either a normal diet (Nor), a high fat diet (HFD), or a high fat diet plus orally administered berberine (0.2 g /kg body weight) (HFD+B) for 8 weeks. Relative to mice in the HFD group, mice in the HFD+B group showed significant reductions in weight gain and adipose tissue weight. Serum triglyceride levels in mice from the HFD+B group were significantly lower than those of the HFD mice, as were the levels of serum insulin and leptin. An effect of berberine to reduce epididymal adipose mass was revealed by H&E staining. Berberine inhibited the high fat diet-induced increase in levels of the proteins CD36 and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein $\alpha$ ($C/EBP{\alpha}$) observed in epididymal adipose tissues of mice from the HFD group. These results suggest that berberine has an anti-obesity effect in mice and that the effect is mediated by inhibition of adipogenesis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.74-80
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• 2001

Objectives : Ma-huang is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, derived from Ephedra sinica Stapf and other Ephedra species, used to treat asthma, nose and lung congestion, and fever with anhidrosis. It contains 0.5-2.5% by weight of total alkaloids, of which ephedrine accounts for 30 to 90%. Recently, Ma-huang has been used as a source of ephedrine in many dietary supplements formulated for the treatment of obesity, since ephedrine has been found to be effective in inducing weight loss in the obese. In this study the effects of the methanol extract of Ma-huang on the adipocyte of epididymal and brown fat pads in rats fed a high fat diet for six weeks were studied. Methods : Male Sprague Dawley rats weighing an average 94g (4 weeks old) were fed either a regular diet (RE) or a high fat diet (HF), and the HF group was subdivided into a Ma-huang methanol extract (30mg/100g body weight) group (HF+MH). The weight of epididymal fat pad and brown adipose tissue were measured. The cell size and cell number per unit area of epididymal fat pad were investigated. Results : The yield weight of methanol extract of Ma-huang was 3.63mg per l00g of Ma-huang. The body weight gain of the HF group was similar with that of the HF+ MH but higher than that of the RE. The weights of the epididymal fat pads and brown adipose tissue of the RE group were lower than those of HF and HF+MH groups. The cell sizes and numbers per unit area of epididymal fat pads of the RE and HF+MH groups were larger than those of HF group. The cell numbers per unit area size of epididymal fat pads were the smallest in the RE group. Conclusions : It could be concluded that the Ma-huang extract has no effect on the epididymal fat pads in rats fed a high fat diet and the clinical application of Ma-huang for the treatment of obesity should be re-considered.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.213-221
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• 2019

The epididymal fat of mouse is a part of visceral fat deposit and is divided into the distal or proximal part based on its histochemical characteristics. Even though the formation of the epididymal fat pad begins before the birth, a detailed adipogenic procedure of the epididymal fat has not been revealed. The epididymal fat pad becomes enlarged and expended with age, and expressional changes of numerous genes are associated with the maturation of fat tissues. In the present research, expressional patterns of adipose tissue-related genes in the distal epididymal fat of mouse at 2, 5, 8, and 12 months of postnatal age were determined by a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The lowest transcript levels of fatty acid binding protein 4 (Fabp4), lipoprotein lipase (Lpl), delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1 (Dlk1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparg), leptin (Lep), adiponectin (Adipoq), and resistin (Retn) were detected at 2 months of age, except fatty acid synthase (Fasn) showing the lowest level at 5 months of age. Even though expression of Lep and Fabp4 were gradually increased until 12 months of age, significant increases of Pparg and Adipoq transcript levels were continued until 8 months of age. The transcript levels of Lpl, Rent, Dlk1, and Fasn were significantly increased at 8 months of age, compared with those at 2 months of age. The current findings suggest that the expansion of the distal epididymal fat of mouse during postnatal period would be companied with differential expression of various adipocyte-associated molecules.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.266-274
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• 1989

The current study was undertaken to determine the effects of the ratios of dietary fat to carbohydrate and energy restriction on insulin sensitivity in the growing rats. Male rats weighting 80-90g were fed experimental diets for two weeks. Rats were killed and epiddymal adipose tissue were removed and sliced. Explants of adipose tissues were incubated for 2 hours in KRB(Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate) buffer containing various concentrations of human insulin and [U-14C]glucose. Insulin sensitivity was determined as glucose conversion to total lipids (lipogenesis) during 2 hr incubation. Exp't I : Effects of Ratios of Fat to Carbohydrate on Insulin Sensitivity. Eighteen male rats were fed 3 diets for 2 weeks. Diet 1 was low fat-high carbohydrate (4% soybean oil and 66.5% cornstarch) ; diet 2, medium fat-medium sarbohydrate(12% soybean oil and 58.5% cornstarch) ; diet 3, high fat-low carbohydrate (20% soybean oil and 50.5% cornstarch). Insulin sensitivity was higher in the order of LF-HC, MF-HC and HF-LC diet groups (p<0.05), i.e, lipogenesis was higher at all insuline concentration in the explants from rats fed LF-HC diet. However, thers was no significant difference in body weight gain and epididymal adipose tissue weight among treatments. Exp't II ; Effects of Energy Restriction on Insulin Sensitivity. Twelve rats were grouped into ad libitum feeding and restricted feeding(70% of ad libitum). The experimental diet was medium fat-medium carbohydrat diet as used in the Exp't I. Restricted feeding group tended to show higher insulin sensitivity compared to ad libitum group. However, there was no statistical difference between two groups. As expected, body weight gain and epididymal adipose tissue were higher in the ad libitum group. In summary, the resutls of the current study showed that the epididymal adipose tissue taken from the rats fed low fat-high carbohydrate diet showed higher insulin sensitivity compared to those fed high fat-low carbohydrate, and that resticted feeding tended to elevate insulin sensitivity in these tissues.