J Vet Sci.  2015 Dec;16(4):389-396. 10.4142/jvs.2015.16.4.389.

Anti-adipogenic effect of Artemisia annua in diet-induced-obesity mice model

• Baek HK
• Shim H
• Lim H
• Shim M
• Kim CK
• Park SK
• Lee YS
• Song KD
• Kim SJ
• Yi SS

• KMID: 2133620
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2015.16.4.389

Abstract

Obesity has increased continuously in western countries during the last several decades and recently become a problem in developing countries. Currently, anti-obesity drugs originating from natural products are being investigated for their potential to overcome adverse effects associated with chemical drugs. Artemisinic acid, which was isolated from the well-known anti-malaria herb Artemisia annua (AA) L., was recently shown to possess anti-adipogenic effects in vitro. However, the anti-adipogenic effects of AA in animal models have not yet been investigated. Therefore, we conducted daily oral administration with AA water extract in a diet-induced obesity animal model and treated 3T3-L1 cells with AA to confirm the anti-adipogenic effects in the related protein expressions. We then evaluated the physiology, adipose tissue histology and mRNA expressions of many related genes. Inhibition of adipogenesis by the AA water extract was observed in vitro. In the animal model, weight gain was significantly lower in the AA treated group, but there were no changes in food intake volume or calories. Reductions in lipid droplet size and mRNA expression associated with adipogenesis were also observed in animal epididymal fat. This study is the first to report that AA has an anti-obese effects in vivo.

Keyword

adipogenesis; animal model; Artemisia annua; diet induced obesity; obesity

MeSH Terms

3T3-L1 Cells
Adipogenesis
Adipose Tissue
Administration, Oral
Animals
Anti-Obesity Agents
Artemisia annua*
Artemisia*
Biological Products
Developing Countries
Eating
Mice*
Models, Animal
Obesity
Physiology
RNA, Messenger
Water
Weight Gain
Anti-Obesity Agents
Biological Products
RNA, Messenger
Water

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Body weight gain and food intake. (A) Body weight changes. The high fat diet (HF)/Artemisia annua (AA) group gained significantly less weight than the HF/vehicle (Veh) group starting from day 14. There were no differences between the normal chow diet (ND)/Veh and ND/AA group at the beginning of the study. (B) Standard error table for body weight changes (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.005, ****p < 0.001). (C and D) Daily food intake volume and Kcal change. There were no significant differences in food intake between groups. However, the HF/AA group's intake was slightly less than that of the HF/Veh group.

• 

  Fig. 2 Reproduction of the anti-adipogenesis effects of AA extract in vitro. (A) 3T3-L1 cells were treated with DIM and AA on day 0. Insulin was then added on day 2, followed by 10% FBS on days 4 and 6. (B) Oil red O staining was performed on day 8. Adipose differentiation was noticeably suppressed in plates treated with AA compared to the control. (C and D) Western blotting and statistical analysis. PPAR-γ was significantly suppressed on day 3 in plates treated with AA. C/EBP-β was the same on days 1 and 2. FabP4 was also suppressed on days 3, 5 and 8 in cells treated with AA (***p < 0.005, ****p < 0.001). Magnification: 100× (upper lane of B), 200× (lower lane of B).

• 

  Fig. 3 Anti-adipogenesis effects of AA extract in vivo. (A and B) H&E staining of fat tissue and statistical analysis. Adipose tissue differentiation in the AA groups was more suppressed than in the Veh groups. This suppression was more evident between ND/Veh and ND/AA than between HF/Veh and HF/AA (*p < 0.05, ****p < 0.001). (C) Real time PCR. C/EBP-β was more significantly suppressed in the HF/AA group than in the HF/Veh group. Levels of other transcription factors did not differ between the Veh and AA group (***p < 0.005). Scale bar = 200 µm (A).

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