Galectin-12 is Involved in Corn Silk-Induced Anti-Adipogenesis and Anti-Obesity Effects.

Galectin-12 is Involved in Corn Silk-Induced Anti-Adipogenesis and Anti-Obesity Effects. Am J Chin Med. 2018 Jul 05;:1-19 Authors: Hsu YA, Kuo YH, Chen CS, Chen YC, Huang CC, Chang CY, Lin CJ, Lin CW, Lin HJ, Liu FT, Wan L Abstract Obesity is a significant risk factor for various diseases. It is a clinical condition caused by the excessive accumulation of fat, which has a negative impact on human health. Galactin-12 is an adipocyte-expressed protein and possesses adipocyte-inducing activity. We investigated the expression level of candidate proteins involved in galactin-12-mediated adipocyte differentiation pathway. We performed a high-throughput screening assay to monitor galectin-12 promoter activity using 105 traditional Chinese herbs. Corn silk extract and [Formula: see text]-sitosterol reduced the expression of galactin-12 promoter in 3T3-L1 cells. In addition, corn silk extract and [Formula: see text]-sitosterol decreased the level of lipid droplets and downregulated the gene and protein expression level of C/EBP[Formula: see text], C/EBP[Formula: see text], PPAR[Formula: see text], Ap2, and adipsin in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes via AKT and ERK1/2 inhibition. In vivo study with the oral administration of corn silk extract and [Formula: see text]-sitosterol in a mouse model showed a significant weight reduction and decrease in adipocytes in several organs such as the liver and adipose tissue. Taken together, corn silk extract and [Fo...
Source: The American Journal of Chinese Medicine - Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Tags: Am J Chin Med Source Type: research