Gypenosides Improve Lipid Homeostasis by Regulating Fatty Acid Metabolism in the Liver

Abstract

We have examined the effect of gypenosides on hepatic lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemic mice. To this end, male mice were placed on a high-fat diet and then administered gypenosides. Compared to the mice on the high-fat diet, the levels of liver index, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the serum were significantly reduced by gypenoside treatment. Gypenosides influenced the overall profile of 22 hepatic fatty acid metabolism genes significantly. Three genes, Cyp4a10, Cyp4a14, and Cyp4a31, had their mRNA expression altered by about tenfold. As a possible mechanism, the findings suggest that gypenosides regulate lipid homeostasis by influencing fatty acid metabolism and promoting fatty acid ω-oxidation.