Combined Ethanol Extract of Grape Pomace and Omija Fruit Ameliorates Adipogenesis, Hepatic Steatosis, and Inflammation in Diet-Induced Obese Mice

Figure 3

Schematic of the proposed mechanism underlying the protective effect of GPE combined with OFE on lipid metabolism and inflammation in the liver and WAT adipose tissue of HFD-fed mice. Supplementation with GPE + OFE significantly lowered body weight gain and body fat mass by partly suppressing mRNA expression of lipogenic genes (FAS, ME, and LPL) and its transcription factor (PPARγ) in epididymal WAT. The mRNA expression of hepatic genes involved in fatty acid and cholesterol syntheses (PPARγ FAS, ME, LPL, HMGR, and ACAT) was also downregulated by supplementation with GPE + OFE, whereas GPE + OFE supplementation activated hepatic fatty acid oxidation, leading to decreased hepatic lipid accumulation. Furthermore, the supplementation of GPE + OFE significantly decreased the levels of plasma adipocytokines (leptin, PAI-1, MCP-1, TNF-α, and IL-6) as well as the mRNA expression of proinflammatory transcription factor, NF-κB, and its target genes, including MCP-1, TNF-α and IL-6, in the liver and epididymal WAT, which may be related to the improvement in obesity and NAFLD. ACAT: acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase; Cho: cholesterol; FA: fatty acid; FAS: fatty acid synthase; HMGR: 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-CoA Reductase; LPL: lipoprotein lipase; IL-6: interleukin-6; MCP-1: monocyte chemotactic protein-1; ME: malic enzyme; NF-κB: nuclear factor-κB; PPARγ: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ; TG: triglyceride; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-α.