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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1386794

Ling-gui-zhu-gan promotes adipocytes browning via targeting the miR-27b/PRDM16 pathway in 3T3-L1 cells

Provisionally accepted
Zimengwei Ye Zimengwei Ye 1Yi Zhao Yi Zhao 1*Yanjing Cui Yanjing Cui 2*Bingrui Xu Bingrui Xu 1*Fan Wang Fan Wang 3*Dandan Zhao Dandan Zhao 1Guangtong Dong Guangtong Dong 1Zhufeng Wang Zhufeng Wang 3*RUI WU RUI WU 2,3*
  • 1 School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
  • 2 Department of Endocrinology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
  • 3 Department of Endocrinology, Guang'anmen Hospital South Campus, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Obesity, a global epidemic, is caused by an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. The induction of white adipose browning to increase heat production has emerged as a potential effective strategy to address obesity. Ling-gui-zhu-gan (LGZG), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been proved to achieve promising results to combat obesity and related metabolic diseases, yet the mechanisms remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to elucidate the anti-obesity properties and the mechanisms of LGZG by investigating its browning effect on 3T3-L1 adipocytes. LGZG-containing serum obtained by oral administration ofLGZG to animals was added to 3T3-L1 adipocytes to simulate in vivo conditions. The results showed that 49 compounds were identified in LGZG-containing serum by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, including compounds such as atractylenolides and polyporenic acid C, etc. LGZG-containing serum alleviated the lipid accumulation and decreased both intracellular and extracellular triglyceride contents in a dose-dependent manner. This reduction is accompanied by enhanced mitochondrial respiratory and heat production function. Mechanistically, LGZG-containing serum led to a decrease in miR-27b expression and an increase in the mRNA and protein levels of browning-related markers, including UCP1, PRDM16, PGC-1α, PPARγ, CTBP1, and CTBP2. Further investigation using miR-27b mimic transfection confirmed that miR-27b/PRDM16 pathway might be a potential mechanism by whichLGZG-containing serum promotes browning of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results underscore the therapeutic potential of LGZG in addressing obesity and its associated metabolic disorders through the promotion of adipose browning.

    Keywords: Obesity, Ling-gui-zhu-gan, Browning, 3T3-L1 adipocytes, MiR-27b/PRDM16 pathway

    Received: 16 Feb 2024; Accepted: 22 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ye, Zhao, Cui, Xu, Wang, Zhao, Dong, Wang and WU. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yi Zhao, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
    Yanjing Cui, Department of Endocrinology, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
    Bingrui Xu, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
    Fan Wang, Department of Endocrinology, Guang'anmen Hospital South Campus, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
    Zhufeng Wang, Department of Endocrinology, Guang'anmen Hospital South Campus, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
    RUI WU, Department of Endocrinology, Guang'anmen Hospital South Campus, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China

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