Hydroalcoholic extract from Sechium edule (Jacq.) S.w. root reverses oleic acid-induced steatosis and insulin resistance in vitro
Zimri Aziel Alvarado-Ojeda,
Alejandro Zamilpa,
Alejandro Costet-Mejia,
Marisol Méndez-Martínez,
Celeste Trejo-Moreno,
Jesús Enrique Jiménez-Ferrer,
Ana Maria Salazar-Martínez,
Mario Ernesto Cruz-Muñoz,
Gladis Fragoso,
Gabriela Rosas-Salgado
Affiliations
Zimri Aziel Alvarado-Ojeda
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma Del Estado de Morelos, Leñeros S/N, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62350, Mexico
Alejandro Zamilpa
Laboratorio de Farmacología, Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas Del Sur, Instituto Mexicano Del Seguro Social, Xochitepec, Morelos, 62790, Mexico
Alejandro Costet-Mejia
Laboratorio de Farmacología, Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas Del Sur, Instituto Mexicano Del Seguro Social, Xochitepec, Morelos, 62790, Mexico
Marisol Méndez-Martínez
Departamento de Sistemas Biológicos, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, 04960, Mexico City, Mexico
Celeste Trejo-Moreno
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma Del Estado de Morelos, Leñeros S/N, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62350, Mexico
Jesús Enrique Jiménez-Ferrer
Laboratorio de Farmacología, Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas Del Sur, Instituto Mexicano Del Seguro Social, Xochitepec, Morelos, 62790, Mexico
Ana Maria Salazar-Martínez
Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
Mario Ernesto Cruz-Muñoz
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma Del Estado de Morelos, Leñeros S/N, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62350, Mexico
Gladis Fragoso
Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico; Corresponding author. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico.
Gabriela Rosas-Salgado
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma Del Estado de Morelos, Leñeros S/N, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62350, Mexico; Corresponding author. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, 62350, Mexico.
Steatosis is characterized by fat accumulation and insulin resistance (IR) in hepatocytes, which triggers a pro-oxidant, pro-inflammatory environment that may eventually lead to cirrhosis or liver carcinoma. This work was aimed to assess the effect of Sechium edule root hydroalcoholic extract (rSe-HA) (rich in cinnamic and coumaric acid, among other phenolic compounds) on triglyceride esterification, lipid degradation, AMPK expression, and the phosphorylation of insulin receptor in a Ser312 residue, as well as on the redox status, malondialdehyde (MDA) production, and the production of proinflammatory cytokines in an in vitro model of steatosis induced by oleic acid, to help develop a phytomedicine that could reverse this pathology. rSe-HA reduced triglyceride levels in hepatocyte lysates, increased lipolysis by activating AMPK at Thr172, and improved the redox status, as evidenced by the concentration of glycerol and formazan, respectively. It also prevented insulin resistance (IR), as measured by glucose consumption and the phosphorylation of the insulin receptor at Ser312. It also prevented TNFα and IL6 production and decreased the levels of MDA and nitric oxide (ON). Our results indicate that rSe-HA reversed steatosis and controlled the proinflammatory and prooxidant environment in oleic acid-induced dysfunctional HepG2 hepatocytes, supporting its potential use to control this disorder.
