Cho-Rong Seo

Butein is a novel anti-adipogenic compound

Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) has been used as a traditional herbal medicine for its various biological activities including anti-adipogenic effects. Activity-guided separation led to the identification of the anti-adipogenic functions of butein. Butein, a novel anti-adipogenic compound, robustly suppressed lipid accumulation and inhibited expression of adipogenic markers. Molecular studies showed that activated transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and suppressed signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways were mediated by butein. Analysis of the temporal expression profiles suggests that TGF-β signaling precedes the STAT3 in the butein-mediated anti-adipogenic cascade. Small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of STAT3 or SMAD2/3 blunted the inhibitory effects of butein on adipogenesis indicating that an interaction between two signaling pathways is required for the action of butein. Upon butein treatments, stimulation of TGF-β signaling was still preserved in STAT3 silenced cells, whereas regulation of STAT3 signaling by butein was significantly impaired in SMAD2/3 silenced cells, further showing that TGF-β acts upstream of STAT3 in the butein-mediated anti-adipogenesis. Taken together, the present study shows that butein, a novel anti-adipogenic compound from RVS, inhibits adipocyte differentiation through the TGF-β pathway followed by STAT3 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ signaling, further implicating potential roles of butein in TGF-β- and STAT3-dysregulated diseases.

Cucurbitacin B and cucurbitacin I suppress adipocyte differentiation through inhibition of STAT3 signaling

Cucurbitacin B, a member of the cucurbitaceae family, can act as a STAT3 signaling inhibitor to regulate the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma. STAT3 signaling has been shown to inhibit adipocyte differentiation through C/EBPα and PPARγ. Based on these studies, we hypothesized that cucurbitacin B would prevent PPARγ mediated adipocyte differentiation through STAT3 signaling. To test this hypothesis, mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 and 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells were treated with a sub-cytotoxic concentration of cucurbitacin B. Cucurbitacin B treatment inhibits lipid accumulation and expression of adipocyte markers including PPARγ and its target genes in a dose-dependent manner. Cucurbitacin B treatment impairs STAT3 signaling as manifested by reduced phosphorylation of STAT3 and suppression of STAT3 target gene expression in preadipocytes. The anti-adipogenic effects of cucurbitacin B are significantly blunted in cells with STAT3 silenced by introducing small interfering RNA. Finally, our data show that cucurbitacin I, another cucurbitacin family member, also inhibits adipocyte differentiation by suppressing STAT3 signaling. Together, our data suggest the possibility of utilizing cucurbitacins as a new strategy to treat metabolic diseases and implicate STAT3 as a new target for the development of functional foods and drugs.

Dichloromethane extracts of Sophora japonica L. stimulate osteoblast differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells

Sophora japonica L. fruit prevents bone loss by inhibiting osteoclast activity. We hypothesized that S japonica L. extracts could promote osteoblast differentiation. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of S japonica L. on osteoblast differentiation and identified the bioactive compound(s) from S japonica L. The mature fruit of S japonica L. was partitioned with ethanol, hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate, and butanol, and their effects were tested on osteoblast differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells. DCM fractionated extracts were identified as the most osteogenic fractions. DCM fractionated extracts dose-dependently stimulated alkaline phosphatase activity and matrix mineralization. The DCM fractions also induced expression of osteoblast markers such as alkaline phosphatase, osterix, and osteocalcin in C3H10T1/2 and primary bone marrow cells. Genistein was found abundantly in the DCM fractions. Furthermore, the genistein and DCM fractions similarly modulated the expression of estrogen target genes and were both active in transfection assays that measured estrogen agonistic activity. Finally, pharmacological inhibition by treatment with an estrogen receptor antagonist or specific inhibition of gene expression by small interference RNAs targeted to estrogen receptor-β abolished the effects of the DCM extracts, further supporting the idea that the genistein in the DCM extracts mediated the pro-osteogenic effects. Taken together, we identified genistein as the key phytoestrogen responsible for the effects of S japonica L. on osteoblast differentiation.

3D-printed alginate/phenamil composite scaffolds constituted with microsized core–shell struts for hard tissue regeneration

Three-dimensional (3D) biomedical scaffolds that are physically and mechanically similar to regenerated tissues and provide bioactive sites for cultured cell adhesion, growth, and even differentiation have been used widely in various tissue regenerative materials. In this work, we propose new composite scaffolds consisting of poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL), alginate, and phenamil methanesulfonate (PM), manufactured by a combined process involving 3D plotting together with a low-temperature working plate and a versatile coating process. The composite scaffolds consist of microsized struts with a core (PCL)–shell (alginate/PM) structure. The PCL in the micro-sized struts has the function of providing mechanical support to the scaffold, and the shell region (alginate/phenamil) is used as a biologically active material. PM is known to stimulate osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization. However, phenamil cannot be used easily as a biomedical scaffold material because of its low molecular weight and low processability. We first introduced the bioactive component, PM, in a solid-freeform fabricated multi-layered pore structure. To assess the effects of PM, the biocompatibility of the composite scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration was characterized in vitro using preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1 cells). Cells were distributed more extensively and proliferated to a greater degree on the PCL/alginate–PM scaffold in a limited PM concentration range versus the PCL/alginate scaffold. Specifically, cell viability and ALP activity were high in a composite scaffold containing PM at 3.5 μg, but not higher PM levels (PM: 5.6 μg per scaffold), compared with PCL/alginate scaffolds. These results suggest that the multi-layered PCL/alginate–PM scaffold may be a promising bioactive material for enhancing bone tissue growth, but over a limited range of PM levels.

Notch1 deficiency decreases hepatic lipid accumulation by induction of fatty acid oxidation

Notch signaling pathways modulate various cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, and communication. Recent studies have demonstrated that Notch1 signaling also regulates hepatic glucose production and lipid synthesis. However, the effect of Notch1 signaling on hepatic lipid oxidation has not yet been directly investigated. To define the function of Notch1 signaling in hepatic lipid metabolism, wild type mice and Notch1 deficient antisense transgenic (NAS) mice were fed a high-fat diet. High-fat diet -fed NAS mice exhibited a marked reduction in hepatic triacylglycerol accumulation compared with wild type obese mice. The improved fatty liver was associated with an increased expression of hepatic genes involved in fatty acid oxidation. However, lipogenic genes were not differentially expressed in the NAS liver, suggesting lipolytic-specific regulatory effects by Notch1 signaling. Expression of fatty acid oxidative genes and the rate of fatty acid oxidation were also increased by inhibition of Notch1 signaling in HepG2 cells. In addition, similar regulatory effects on lipid accumulation were observed in adipocytes. Taken together, these data show that inhibition of Notch1 signaling can regulate the expression of fatty acid oxidation genes and may provide therapeutic strategies in obesity-induced hepatic steatosis.

Sulfuretin induces osteoblast differentiation through activation of TGF-β signaling.

The identification and examination of potential determinants controlling the progression of cell fate toward osteoblasts can be intriguing subjects. In this study, the effects of sulfuretin, a major compound isolated from Rhus verniciflua Stokes, on osteoblast differentiation were investigated. Treatments of sulfuretin induced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in mesenchymal C3H10T1/2 cells and mineralization in preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. Pro-osteogenic effects of sulfuretin were consistently observed in freshly isolated primary bone marrow cells. In mechanical studies, sulfuretin specifically induced expression of TGF-β target genes, such as SMAD7 and PAI-1, but not other signaling pathway-related genes. Similar to the results of gene expression analysis, reporter assays further demonstrated TGF-β-specific induction by sulfuretin. Furthermore, disruption of TGF-β signaling using treatment with TGF-β-specific inhibitor, SB-431542, and introduction of SMAD2/3 small interfering RNA impaired the effects of sulfuretin in inducing ALP activity and expression of ALP mRNA. Together, these data indicate that the pro-osteogenic effects of sulfuretin are mediated through activation of TGF-β signaling, further supporting the potential of sulfuretin in the prevention of bone-related diseases such as bone fracture and osteoporosis.

Reciprocal Regulation of Adipocyte and Osteoblast Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Eupatorium japonicum Prevents Bone Loss and Adiposity Increase in Osteoporotic Rats

Pathological increases in adipogenic potential with decreases in osteogenic differentiation occur in osteoporotic bone marrow cells. Previous studies have shown that bioactive materials isolated from natural products can reciprocally regulate adipogenic and osteogenic fates of bone marrow cells. In this study, we showed that Eupatorium japonicum stem extracts (EJE) suppressed lipid accumulation and inhibited the expression of adipocyte markers in multipotent C3H10T1/2 and primary bone marrow cells. Conversely, EJE stimulated alkaline phosphatase activity and induced the expression of osteoblast markers in C3H10T1/2 and primary bone marrow cells. Daily oral administration of 50 mg/kg of EJE for 6 weeks to ovariectomized rats prevented body weight increase and bone mineral density decrease. Finally, activity-guided fractionation led to the identification of coumaric acid and coumaric acid methyl ester as bioactive anti-adipogenic and pro-osteogenic components in EJE. Taken together, our data indicate a promising possibility of E. japonicum as a functional food and as a therapeutic intervention for preventing osteoporosis and bone fractures.