A 70% Ethanol Extract of Mistletoe Rich in Betulin, Betulinic Acid, and Oleanolic Acid Potentiated β-Cell Function and Mass and Enhanced Hepatic Insulin Sensitivity

Figure 4

The modulation of insulin signaling in the liver at the end of experimental periods. After 10 min of insulin (5 U/kg body weight) stimulation through the inferior vena cava at the end of each experimental period, the liver was collected from the Px rats fed high-fat diets supplemented with either (1) 0.6% water extract of Korean mistletoe (KMW-W), (2) 0.6% of 70% ethanol extract of Korean mistletoe (KME-E), or (3) 0.6% dextrose (Px-control) and sham-operated rats fed a high-fat diet containing 0.6% dextrose (a normal-control). The liver was immediately lysed with a lysis buffer. Hepatic glycogen and triglyceride contents were also determined (a). The phosphorylation and expression levels of the Akt, GSK-1β, and PEPCK, involved in insulin sensitivity, were determined by immunoblotting with specific antibodies. The intensity of protein expression was determined using ImageQuant TL (b). These experiments were repeated four times for the liver, and the bars and error bars represent mean ± SD (). Values on the bars with different superscripts were significantly different in a Tukey post hoc test at a significance of .

(a)

(b)