Level D· Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studiesLaboratory StudyPubMedOpen access

Extract of Ephedra sinica Stapf Induces Browning of Mouse and Human White Adipocytes.

Park SJ., Shon DH., Ryu YH., Ko Y.

Laboratory Study, published in Foods (2022) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.

Open my reading list
Level D· Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studiesEvidence level of this study

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

  • Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
  • Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
  • Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
  • Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
  • Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
Read the A–D evidence level guide

This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.

Study type
Laboratory Study
Journal
Foods (2022)
Country
Switzerland
Reported sample size
—
Source database
PubMed
PMID
35407115
PMCID
PMC8998140
DOI
10.3390/foods11071028
Citations
7

Abstract (original English)

Browning of adipocytes using herbal extracts is an attractive and realistic strategy for obesity treatment. Ephedra sinica Stapf ( E. sinica ) is an Asian traditional medicine known to activate brown adipocytes. To evaluate the effect of E. sinica (EEs) on the browning of white adipocytes, expression levels of browning markers, including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), were determined using qPCR, Western blot, and immunocytochemistry after mature mouse inguinal preadipocyte (mIPA) and human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) were treated with EEs. In addition, mitochondrial activity was determined by analyzing MitoTracker staining, mtDNA copy number, and oxygen consumption rate (OCR). Treatment with EEs suppressed lipid accumulation and expression levels of adipogenic markers, including Pparg , during mIPA differentiation. In mature mIPA and hADSCs browning markers, including Ucp1 , were up-regulated by EEs. In addition, EEs increased expression of mitochondrial genes, mtDNA copy number, and OCR. EEs showed a dual function: inhibiting adipogenesis in immature preadipocytes, and promoting thermogenesis via browning in mature white adipocytes. Therefore, E. sinica is a potential herb for regulating energy metabolism by inducing the browning process.

What this study does not prove

  • • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
  • • This is preclinical work; animal or laboratory results cannot be applied to humans.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

How we grade evidence

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.