Eucommia ulmoides Oliver extract, aucubin, and geniposide enhance lysosomal activity to regulate ER stress and hepatic lipid accumulation

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 11;8(12):e81349. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081349. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Eucommia ulmoides Oliver is a natural product widely used as a dietary supplement and medicinal plant. Here, we examined the potential regulatory effects of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver extracts (EUE) on hepatic dyslipidemia and its related mechanisms by in vitro and in vivo studies. EUE and its two active constituents, aucubin and geniposide, inhibited palmitate-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, reducing hepatic lipid accumulation through secretion of apolipoprotein B and associated triglycerides and cholesterol in human HepG2 hepatocytes. To determine how EUE diminishes the ER stress response, lysosomal and proteasomal protein degradation activities were analyzed. Although proteasomal activity was not affected, lysosomal enzyme activities including V-ATPase were significantly increased by EUE as well as aucubin and geniposide in HepG2 cells. Treatment with the V-ATPase inhibitor, bafilomycin, reversed the inhibition of ER stress, secretion of apolipoprotein B, and hepatic lipid accumulation induced by EUE or its component, aucubin or geniposide. In addition, EUE was determined to regulate hepatic dyslipidemia by enhancing lysosomal activity and to regulate ER stress in rats fed a high-fat diet. Together, these results suggest that EUE and its active components enhance lysosomal activity, resulting in decreased ER stress and hepatic dyslipidemia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / drug effects
  • Eucommiaceae / chemistry*
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Iridoid Glucosides / pharmacology*
  • Iridoids / pharmacology*
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Lysosomes / drug effects*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Triglycerides / metabolism

Substances

  • Iridoid Glucosides
  • Iridoids
  • Plant Extracts
  • Triglycerides
  • geniposide
  • aucubin
  • Cholesterol

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Research Foundation (2012R1A2A1A3001907 and 2008-0062279) and Korea Health Industry Development Institute (A121931-1211-0000200). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.