Anti-Obesity Effect of Pine Needle Extract on High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice
Eun A. Kim,
Ju-Hwan Yang,
Eun-Hye Byeon,
Woong Kim,
Dawon Kang,
Jaehee Han,
Seong-Geun Hong,
Deok-Ryong Kim,
Sang-Je Park,
Jae-Won Huh,
Hyeonsook Cheong,
Seung-Pil Yun,
Dong-Kun Lee
Affiliations
Eun A. Kim
Department of Physiology and Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Medical School, Jinju 52727, Korea
Ju-Hwan Yang
Department of Physiology and Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Medical School, Jinju 52727, Korea
Eun-Hye Byeon
Department of Physiology and Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Medical School, Jinju 52727, Korea
Woong Kim
Department of Integrative Biological Sciences & BK21 FOUR Educational Research Group for Age-Associated Disorder Control Technology, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea
Dawon Kang
Department of Physiology and Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Medical School, Jinju 52727, Korea
Jaehee Han
Department of Physiology and Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Medical School, Jinju 52727, Korea
Seong-Geun Hong
Department of Physiology and Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Medical School, Jinju 52727, Korea
Deok-Ryong Kim
Department of Biochemistry and Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Medical School, Jinju 52727, Korea
Sang-Je Park
National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Cheongju 28116, Korea
Jae-Won Huh
National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Cheongju 28116, Korea
Hyeonsook Cheong
Department of Biomedical Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Korea
Seung-Pil Yun
Department of Pharmacology and Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Medical School, Jinju 52727, Korea
Dong-Kun Lee
Department of Physiology and Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University Medical School, Jinju 52727, Korea
Background: Obesity due to an excessive intake of nutrient disturbs the hypothalamus-mediated energy metabolism subsequently develops metabolic disorders. In this study, we investigated the effect of pine needle extract (PNE) on the hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons involved in the regulation of energy balance via melanocortin system and fat tissue metabolism. Methods: We performed electrophysiological and immunohistochemical analyses to determine the effect of PNE on POMC neurons. Mice were fed a normal or high-fat diet for 12 weeks, then received PNE for the last 2 weeks to measure the following physiological indices: Body weight, food intake, fat/lean mass, glucose metabolism, and plasma leptin levels. In addition, changes of thermogenic, lipolytic, and lipogenetic markers were evaluated in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT) by western blotting, respectively. Results: PNE increased hypothalamic POMC neuronal activity, and the effect was abolished by blockade of melanocortin 3/4 receptors (MC3/4Rs). PNE decreased body weight, fat mass, plasma leptin levels, and improved glucose metabolism after high-fat-induced obesity. However, PNE did not change the expression of thermogenic markers of the BAT in HFD fed groups, but decreased only the lipogenetic markers of WAT. This study suggests that PNE has a potent anti-obesity effect, inhibiting lipogenesis in WAT, even though HFD-induced leptin resistance-mediated disruption of POMC neuronal activity.
