Naimur Rahman1, Miso Jeon1, Ho-Yeon Song1, Yong-Sik Kim2. 1. Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea. 2. Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea; Institute of Tissue Engineering, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea. Electronic address: yongsikkim@sch.ac.kr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cryptotanshinone (CT), a major tanshinone found in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae), has various pharmacological effects such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Despite its well-documented benefits in a wide range of diseases, the effect of CT on adipocyte differentiation has not been well characterized. PURPOSE: The present study was designed to determine the in vitro anti-adipogenic effect and underlying molecular mechanisms of CT using 3T3-L1 murine pre-adipocytes. METHODS: We measured the levels of intracellular triglyceride accumulation and mRNA and protein expression of key adipogenic transcription factors and their target genes. RESULTS: Treatment with CT drastically reduced lipid accumulation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Molecular assays showed that CT effectively suppressed the expression of C/EBPβ, C/EBPα, and PPARγ and of their target adipocyte-specific genes aP2, adiponectin, and GLUT4 but activated the expression of anti-adipogenic genes such as GATA2, CHOP10, and TNF-α. CT treatment also inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 in the early phase of adipogenesis. A small-interfering-RNA-mediated knock-down of STAT3 potentiated the anti-adipogenic effect of CT. CONCLUSION: Taken together, the results suggest that CT may be a good anti-adipogenic candidate because it regulates STAT3 during early adipogenesis.
BACKGROUND:Cryptotanshinone (CT), a major tanshinone found in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae), has various pharmacological effects such as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Despite its well-documented benefits in a wide range of diseases, the effect of CT on adipocyte differentiation has not been well characterized. PURPOSE: The present study was designed to determine the in vitro anti-adipogenic effect and underlying molecular mechanisms of CT using 3T3-L1 murine pre-adipocytes. METHODS: We measured the levels of intracellular triglyceride accumulation and mRNA and protein expression of key adipogenic transcription factors and their target genes. RESULTS: Treatment with CT drastically reduced lipid accumulation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Molecular assays showed that CT effectively suppressed the expression of C/EBPβ, C/EBPα, and PPARγ and of their target adipocyte-specific genes aP2, adiponectin, and GLUT4 but activated the expression of anti-adipogenic genes such as GATA2, CHOP10, and TNF-α. CT treatment also inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 in the early phase of adipogenesis. A small-interfering-RNA-mediated knock-down of STAT3 potentiated the anti-adipogenic effect of CT. CONCLUSION: Taken together, the results suggest that CT may be a good anti-adipogenic candidate because it regulates STAT3 during early adipogenesis.