Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in the world. Therapeutic activity of icariin, a major bioactive component of Epimedii Herba, in NAFLD is still unknown. Herein, the C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high-fat diet for 16 weeks to establish a NAFLD model. Mice were assigned to five groups: control group, NAFLD group, and icariin treatment groups. Effects of icariin on blood indices, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, histopathological morphology, cell apoptosis, lipid accumulation, and AMPK signaling were analyzed. In addition, another cohort of mice were assigned to five groups: control group, NAFLD group, dorsomorphin treatment group, icariin treatment group, and dorsomorphin + icariin treatment group. Expression of proteins in liver tissues associated with AMPK signaling, and levels of ALT and AST were evaluated. Icariin attenuated the NAFLD-induced increase of the TG, TC, LDL-C, ALT, AST levels. HDL-C levels were affected neither by NAFLD nor by icariin. Furthermore, icariin treatment (100-200 mg/kg) counteracted the NAFLD-reduced glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and modulated histopathological changes, cell apoptosis, and lipid accumulation in liver tissues. Additionally, icariin mitigated the NAFLD-induced up-regulation of the cleaved caspase 3/9, SREBP-1c, and DGAT-2 levels, and enhanced the expression level of CPT-1, p-ACC/ACC, AMPKα1, PGC-1α, and GLUT4. Effects of icariin on the AMPK signaling and levels of AST and ALT could be reversed by AMPK inhibitor, dorsomorphin. This paper investigates the glucose-reducing and lipid-lowering effects of icariin in NAFLD. Moreover, icariin might function through activating the AMPKα1/PGC-1α/GLTU4 pathway.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- ALT:
-
alanine aminotransferase
- AMPK:
-
AMP-activated protein kinase
- AST:
-
aspartate aminotransferase
- LDL-C:
-
low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol
- NAFLD:
-
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- PGC-1α:
-
peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha
- SREBP-1c:
-
sterol-regulatory element binding protein 1c
- TC:
-
total cholesterol
- TG:
-
triglyceride
References
Sanyal, A. J., Brunt, E. M., Kleiner, D. E., Kowdley, K. V., Chalasani, N., et al. (2011) Endpoints and clinical trial design for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, Hepatology, 54, 344-353, https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.24376.
Younossi, Z., Anstee, Q. M., Marietti, M., Hardy, T., Henry, L., et al. (2018) Global burden of NAFLD and NASH: trends, predictions, risk factors and prevention, Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol., 15, 11-20, https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2017.109.
Milić, S., Lulić, D., and Štimac, D. (2014) Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity: biochemical, metabolic and clinical presentations, World J. Gastroenterol., 20, 9330-9337, https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v20.i28.9330.
Rinella, M. E., and Sanyal, A. J. (2016) Management of NAFLD: a stage-based approach, Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol., 13, 196-205, https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2016.3.
Zein, C. O., Yerian, L. M., Gogate, P., Lopez, R., Kirwan, J. P., et al. (2011) Pentoxifylline improves nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: a randomized placebo-controlled trial, Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), 54, 1610-1619, https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.24544.
Cusi, K. (2016) Treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: current approaches and future directions, Diabetologia, 59, 1112-1120, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-016-3952-1.
Liu, J. J., Li, S. P., and Wang, Y. T. (2006) Optimization for quantitative determination of four flavonoids in Epimedium by capillary zone electrophoresis coupled with diode array detection using central composite design, J. Chromatogr. A, 27, 344-349.
Wang, Y., Wang, Y.-S., Song, S.-L., Liang, H., and Ji, A.-G. (2016) Icariin inhibits atherosclerosis progress in Apoe null mice by downregulating CX3CR1 in macrophage, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 470, 845-850, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.01.118.
Hu, Y., Sun, B., Liu, K., Yan, M., Zhang, Y., et al. (2016) Icariin attenuates high-cholesterol diet induced atherosclerosis in rats by inhibition of inflammatory response and p38 MAPK signaling pathway, Inflammation, 39, 228-236, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-015-0242-x.
Zhang, W.-P., Bai, X.-J., Zheng, X.-P., Xie, X.-L., and Yuan, Z.-Y. (2013) Icariin attenuates the enhanced prothrombotic state in atherosclerotic rabbits independently of its lipid-lowering effects, Planta Med., 79, 731-736, https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0032-1328551.
Tian, M., Yang, S., and Yan, X. (2018) Icariin reduces human colon carcinoma cell growth and metastasis by enhancing p53 activities, Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res., 51, e7151-e7151, https://doi.org/10.1590/1414-431X20187151.
Qi, S., He, J., Zheng, H., Chen, C., and Lan, S. (2019) Icariin prevents diabetes-induced bone loss in rats by reducing blood glucose and suppressing bone turnover, Molecules, 24, 1871, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24101871.
Han, Y. Y., Song, M. Y., Hwang, M. S., Hwang, J. H., Park, Y. K., and Jung, H. W. (2016) Epimedium koreanum Nakai and its main constituent icariin suppress lipid accumulation during adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, Chinese J. Nat. Med., 14, 671-676, https://doi.org/10.1016/s1875-5364(16)30079-6.
Han, Y., Jung, H. W., and Park, Y. K. (2015) Effects of Icariin on insulin resistance via the activation of AMPK pathway in C2C12 mouse muscle cells, Eur. J. Pharmacol., 758, 60-63, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.03.059.
Miller, R. A., and Birnbaum, M. J. (2010) An energetic tale of AMPK-independent effects of metformin, J. Clin. Invest., 120, 2267-2270.
Choi, Y. J., Lee, K. Y., Jung, S. H., Kim, H. S., Shim, G., et al. (2017) Activation of AMPK by berberine induces hepatic lipid accumulation by upregulation of fatty acid translocase CD36 in mice, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 316, 74-82.
Wu, H., Deng, X., Shi, Y., Su, Y., Wei, J., and Duan, H. (2016) PGC-1α, glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes mellitus, J. Endocrinol., 229, R99-R115.
Govers, R. (2014) Molecular mechanisms of GLUT4 regulation in adipocytes, Diab. Metab., 40, 400-410, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabet.2014.01.005.
Cao, D., Zhou, H., Zhao, J., Jin, L., Yu, W., et al. (2014) PGC-1α integrates glucose metabolism and angiogenesis in multiple myeloma cells by regulating VEGF and GLUT-4, Oncol. Rep., 31, 1205-1210.
Lu, Y.-F., Xu, Y.-Y., Jin, F., Wu, Q., Shi, J.-S., and Liu, J. (2014) Icariin is a PPARα activator inducing lipid metabolic gene expression in mice, Molecules, 19, 18179-18191, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules191118179.
Cao, X., Luo, T., Luo, X., and Tang, Z. (2014) Resveratrol prevents AngII-induced hypertension via AMPK activation and RhoA/ROCK suppression in mice, Hypertens. Res., 37, 803-810, https://doi.org/10.1038/hr.2014.90.
Fang, P., He, B., Yu, M., Shi, M., Zhu, Y., et al. (2019) Treatment with celastrol protects against obesity through suppression of galanin-induced fat intake and activation of PGC-1α/GLUT4 axis-mediated glucose consumption, Biochim. Biophys. Acta Mol. Basis Dis., 1865, 1341-1350, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.02.002.
Wang, Q., Cui, Y., Lin, N., and Pang, S. (2019) Correlation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis with duration of hypertension, severity of hypertension and caspase-3 expression in hypertensive rats, Exp. Ther. Med., 17, 2741-2745, https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2019.7249.
Asrih, M., and Jornayvaz, F. R. (2013) Inflammation as a potential link between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance, J. Endocrinol., 218, R25-36, https://doi.org/10.1530/joe-13-0201.
Ahmed, M. H., and Byrne, C. D. (2007) Modulation of sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) as potential treatments for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), Drug Discov. Today, 12, 740-747, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2007.07.009.
Xin, H., Zhou, F., Liu, T., Li, G.-Y., Liu, J., et al. (2012) Icariin ameliorates streptozotocin-induced diabetic retinopathy in vitro and in vivo, Int. J. Mol. Sci., 13, 866-878, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms13010866.
Li, M., Zhang, Y., Cao, Y., Zhang, D., Liu, L., et al. (2018) Icariin ameliorates palmitate-induced insulin resistance through reducing Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein (TXNIP) and suppressing ER stress in C2C12 myotubes, Front. Pharmacol., 9, 1180, https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.01180.
Chatrath, H., Vuppalanchi, R., and Chalasani, N. (2012) Dyslipidemia in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Semin. Liver Dis., 32, 22-29, https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0032-1306423.
Iliopoulos, D., Drosatos, K., Hiyama, Y., Goldberg, I. J., and Zannis, V. I. (2010) MicroRNA-370 controls the expression of microRNA-122 and Cpt1α and affects lipid metabolism, J. Lipid Res., 51, 1513-1523, https://doi.org/10.1194/jlr.M004812.
Esler, W. P., and Bence, K. K. (2019) Metabolic targets in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Cell. Mol. Gastroenterol. Hepatol., 8, 247-267, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2019.04.007.
Brownsey, R. W., Zhande, R., and Boone, A. N. (1997) Isoforms of acetyl-CoA carboxylase: structures, regulatory properties and metabolic functions, Biochem. Soc. Trans., 25, 1232-1238, https://doi.org/10.1042/bst0251232.
Kim, C. W., Addy, C., Kusunoki, J., Anderson, N. N., Deja, S., et al. (2017) Acetyl CoA carboxylase inhibition reduces hepatic steatosis but elevates plasma triglycerides in mice and humans: a bedside to bench investigation, Cell Metab., 26, 394-406.e396, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2017.07.009.
Pettinelli, P., Del Pozo, T., Araya, J., Rodrigo, R., Araya, A. V., et al. (2009) Enhancement in liver SREBP-1c/PPAR-α ratio and steatosis in obese patients: correlations with insulin resistance and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid depletion, Biochim. Biophys. Acta Mol. Bas. Disease, 1792, 1080-1086.
Lee, M., Katerelos, M., Gleich, K., Galic, S., Kemp, B. E., et al. (2018) Phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase by AMPK reduces renal fibrosis and is essential for the anti-fibrotic effect of metformin, J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., 29, 2326-2336, https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2018010050.
Abu-Elheiga, L., Jayakumar, A., Baldini, A., Chirala, S. S., and Wakil, S. J. (1995) Human acetyl-CoA carboxylase: characterization, molecular cloning, and evidence for two isoforms, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 92, 4011-4015, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.92.9.4011.
Hou, Y., Gu, D., Peng, J., Jiang, K., Li, Z., et al. (2020) Ginsenoside Rg1 regulates liver lipid factor metabolism in NAFLD model rats, ACS Omega, 5, 10878-10890, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.0c00529.
Wang, C.-M., Yuan, R.-S., Zhuang, W.-Y., Sun, J.-H., Wu, J.-Y., et al. (2016) Schisandra polysaccharide inhibits hepatic lipid accumulation by downregulating expression of SREBPs in NAFLD mice, Lipids Health Disease, 15, 195, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-016-0358-5.
Liu, X., Chhipa, R. R., Nakano, I., and Dasgupta, B. (2014) The AMPK inhibitor compound C is a potent AMPK-independent antiglioma agent, Mol. Cancer Ther., 13, 596-605, https://doi.org/10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-13-0579.
Yu, L., Gong, B., Duan, W., Fan, C., Zhang, J., et al. (2017) Melatonin ameliorates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in type 1 diabetic rats by preserving mitochondrial function: role of AMPK-PGC-1α-SIRT3 signaling, Sci. Rep., 7, 41337-41337, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep41337.
Hardie, D. G., and Sakamoto, K. (2006) AMPK: a key sensor of fuel and energy status in skeletal muscle, Physiology (Bethesda), 21, 48-60, https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.00044.2005.
O’Neill, H. M., Holloway, G. P., and Steinberg, G. R. (2013) AMPK regulation of fatty acid metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis: implications for obesity, Mol. Cell. Endocrinol., 366, 135-151, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2012.06.019.
Chen, S.-Q., Ding, L.-N., Zeng, N.-X., Liu, H.-M., Zheng, S.-H., et al. (2019) Icariin induces irisin/FNDC5 expression in C2C12 cells via the AMPK pathway, Biomed. Pharmacother., 115, 108930-108930, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2019.108930.
Aschenbach, J. R., Steglich, K., Gäbel, G., and Honscha, K. U. (2009) Expression of mRNA for glucose transport proteins in jejunum, liver, kidney and skeletal muscle of pigs, J. Physiol. Biochem., 65, 251-266, https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03180578.
Weston, C. J., and Adams, D. H. (2011) Hepatic consequences of vascular adhesion protein-1 expression, J. Neural Transm., 118, 1055-1064, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-011-0647-0.
Tang, Y., and Chen, A. (2010) Curcumin prevents leptin raising glucose levels in hepatic stellate cells by blocking translocation of glucose transporter-4 and increasing glucokinase, Br. J. Pharmacol., 161, 1137-1149, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.00956.x.
Sharabi, K., Lin, H., Tavares, C. D. J., Dominy, J. E., Camporez, J. P., et al. (2017) Selective chemical inhibition of PGC-1α gluconeogenic activity ameliorates type 2 diabetes, Cell, 169, 148-160.e115, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2017.03.001.
Huang, S., and Czech, M. P. (2007) The GLUT4 glucose transporter, Cell Metab., 5, 237-252, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2007.03.006.
Leto, D., and Saltiel, A. R. (2012) Regulation of glucose transport by insulin: traffic control of GLUT4, Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol., 13, 383-396, https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm3351.
Wu, Z., Puigserver, P., Andersson, U., Zhang, C., Adelmant, G., et al. (1999) Mechanisms controlling mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration through the thermogenic coactivator PGC-1, Cell, 98, 115-124, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80611-X.
Benton, C. R., Holloway, G. P., Han, X. X., Yoshida, Y., Snook, L. A., et al. (2010) Increased levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1alpha) improve lipid utilisation, insulin signalling and glucose transport in skeletal muscle of lean and insulin-resistant obese Zucker rats, Diabetologia, 53, 2008-2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-010-1773-1.
Ding, L., Liang, X. G., Zhu, D. Y., and Lou, Y. J. (2007) Icariin promotes expression of PGC-1alpha, PPARalpha, and NRF-1 during cardiomyocyte differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells in vitro, Acta Pharmacol. Sin., 28, 1541-1549.
Zhu, H. R., Wang, Z. Y., Zhu, X. L., Wu, X. X., Li, E. G., and Xu, Y. (2010) Icariin protects against brain injury by enhancing SIRT1-dependent PGC-1alpha expression in experimental stroke, Neuropharmacology, 59, 70-76.
Funding
This research was financially supported by Wenzhou Municipal Sci-Tech Bureau Program (project Y20190127).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
The authors declare no conflict of interest in financial or any other sphere. All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, W., Jin, Y., Hu, X. et al. AMPK/PGC-1α/GLUT4-Mediated Effect of Icariin on Hyperlipidemia-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Lipid Metabolism Disorder in Mice. Biochemistry Moscow 86, 1407–1417 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0006297921110055
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0006297921110055