Brazilian propolis-derived components inhibit TNF-α-mediated downregulation of adiponectin expression via different mechanisms in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 1810; no. 7; pp. 695 - 703
• Main Authors: Ikeda, Rie, Yanagisawa, Masayoshi, Takahashi, Nobuyuki, Kawada, Teruo, Kumazawa, Shigenori, Yamaotsu, Noriyuki, Nakagome, Izumi, Hirono, Shuichi, Tsuda, Takanori
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2011
• Subjects: 3T3-L1 Cells; Adipocyte; adipocytes; Adipocytes - drug effects; Adipocytes - metabolism; Adiponectin; Adiponectin - metabolism; agonists; Anilides - pharmacology; Animals; Anthracenes - chemistry; Anthracenes - pharmacology; Brazil; c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase; Coumaric Acids - chemistry; Coumaric Acids - pharmacology; Crystallography, X-Ray; Down-Regulation - drug effects; Enzyme Activation - drug effects; fatty acid-binding proteins; Immunoblotting; insulin resistance; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - chemistry; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; Mice; mitogen-activated protein kinase; Models, Molecular; molecular models; Molecular Structure; necrosis; Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor; Phenylpropionates - chemistry; Phenylpropionates - pharmacology; PPAR gamma - agonists; PPAR gamma - chemistry; PPAR gamma - metabolism; Propolis; Propolis - chemistry; Propolis - pharmacology; Protein Binding - drug effects; transcription (genetics); transcriptional activation; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - pharmacology; Adipocyte; aP2; EMM; JNK; Propolis; vdW; MM-PBSA; MAPK; MKK; Adiponectin; SEK1/MKK4; PPAR; TNF-α; Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor; FBS; TTBS; c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase; TZD
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 0006-3002; 1872-8006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2011.04.007

Previous reports suggest that Brazilian propolis has multiple biological functions and may help to restore adiponectin expression and insulin sensitivity. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which these compounds inhibit the downregulation of adiponectin. The effect of various Brazilian propolis-derived components on inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-mediated downregulation of adiponectin expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and molecular mechanism was investigated. Pretreatment with either artepillin C (C3) or its derivative (C4) significantly inhibited TNF-α-mediated downregulation of adiponectin expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Interestingly, C3 strongly activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) transcriptional activity. Treatment of adipocytes with C3 resulted in the upregulation of adiponectin and fatty acid-binding protein 4 expression, but C4 did not significantly induce PPARγ transactivation. C4 did, however, inhibit the TNF-α-induced c-Jun-NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling that is involved in adiponectin expression. Molecular docking studies based on hPPARγ with C3 and JNK1 with C4 clearly supported our experimental results. These data demonstrate that 1) both C3 and C4 significantly inhibit the TNF-α-mediated downregulation of adiponectin in adipocytes, 2) C3 functions as a PPARγ agonist, and its inhibition of the effect of TNF-α is due to this PPARγ transactivation, and 3) C4 is an effective inhibitor of JNK activation, thus inhibiting the TNF-α-mediated downregulation of adiponectin. Brazilian propolis-derived components (C3 and C4) can significantly inhibit TNF-α-mediated downregulation of adiponectin in adipocytes, although they do so via different mechanisms. [Display omitted] ► Two types of propolis components inhibit downregulation of adiponectin via different mechanisms. ► Artepillin C (C3) functions as a PPARγ agonist. ► C3 can form a stable complex with the hPPARγ LBD based on molecular docking studies. ► C4 is an effective inhibitor of JNK activation. The predicted binding mode of C4 was similar to the binding modes of known JNK inhibitors.