Abstract
Moutan Cortex is a well-known herb in traditional Korean, Chinese, and Japanese anti-diabetic formulae. In the current study, we investigated the metabolic effects of isolated triterpenes (1-7) in HepG2 cells under high glucose conditions. These compounds remakably stimulated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), GSK-3beta, and ACC phosphorylation. The compounds also increased glucose uptake and enhanced glycogen synthesis. Among these, compound 1 displayed the greatest potential anti-diabetic activity though the AMPK activation pathway. Compound 1 significantly increased the levels of phospho-AMPK, phospho-ACC, and phospho-GSK-3beta and stimulated glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, our results suggest that these compounds, especially compound 1, may have beneficial roles in glucose metabolism via the AMPK pathway.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*
-
Cell Line, Tumor
-
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / drug therapy
-
Drugs, Chinese Herbal / chemistry*
-
Glucose / metabolism*
-
Glycogen / biosynthesis*
-
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism
-
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
-
Humans
-
Hypoglycemic Agents / chemistry*
-
Hypoglycemic Agents / isolation & purification
-
Hypoglycemic Agents / toxicity
-
Insulin Resistance
-
Paeonia / chemistry*
-
Phosphorylation
-
Terpenes / chemistry*
-
Terpenes / isolation & purification
-
Terpenes / toxicity
-
Triterpenes / chemistry*
-
Triterpenes / isolation & purification
-
Triterpenes / toxicity
Substances
-
Drugs, Chinese Herbal
-
Hypoglycemic Agents
-
Terpenes
-
Triterpenes
-
moutan cortex
-
palbinone
-
Glycogen
-
GSK3B protein, human
-
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
-
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3
-
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
-
Glucose