Forskning

June 13, 2017

Kahweol inhibits lipid accumulation and induces glucose uptake through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)

J H Baek et al, 2017. Kahweol inhibits lipid accumulation and induces glucose uptake through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), BMB Reports, published online.

ABSTRACT:

ABSTRACT Weight loss ≥5% is sufficient to significantly reduce health risks for people with obesity; therefore, development of novel weight loss compounds with reduced toxicity is urgently required. After screening of natural compounds with anti-adipogenesis properties in 3T3-L1 cells, we determined that kahweol, a coffee-specific diterpene, inhibited adipogenesis. Kahweol reduced lipid accumulation and expression levels of adipogenesis and lipid accumulation-related factors. Levels of Phosphorylated AKT and phosphorylated JAK2, which induce lipid accumulation, decreased in kahweol-treated cells. Notably, kahweol treatment significantly increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation. We showed that depletion of AMPK alleviated the reduction in lipid accumulation resulting from kahweol treatment, suggesting that inhibition of lipid accumulation by kahweol is dependent on AMPK activation. Moreover, we detected a more rapid reduction in blood glucose levels in mice administrated kahweol than in control mice. Therefore, we suggest that kahweol has anti-obesity effects and should be studied further for possible therapeutic application.