Dietary green tea extract lowers plasma and hepatic triglycerides and decreases the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c mRNA and its responsive genes in fructose-fed, ovariectomized rats.

The objective of this study was to determine whether green tea (GT) inhibits the expression of genes regulating hepatic lipogenesis and intestinal lipid transport in fructose-fed ovariectomized (OX) rats. OX rats were assigned to: 1) a control group (S) fed the AIN-93G diet with corn starch as the major carbohydrate source; 2) another control group (F) fed the same diet but containing fructose at 60% as the major carbohydrate source; 3) a group fed the F diet but containing 0.5% GT; and 4) a group fed the F diet containing 1% GT. At 6 wk, plasma and liver triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol and expression of liver sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) and selected genes involved in lipogenesis and lipid transport were measured. Fructose elevated plasma TG and cholesterol compared with the S group. GT at 0.5 and 1.0% markedly lowered plasma and liver TG. Fructose increased the expression of SREBP-1c, fatty acid synthase, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 mRNA in the liver, whereas GT decreased the expression of these lipogenic genes. Similarly, fructose increased the abundance of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase mRNA, whereas GT significantly decreased its expression. GT did not alter the expression of scavenger receptor class B, type 1, microsomal TG transfer protein, and apobec 1 in the liver and intestine. The results suggest that the lipid-lowering effect of GT is mediated partly by its inhibition of hepatic lipogenesis involving SREBP-1c and its responsive genes without affecting lipoprotein assembly.