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Previous study showed that mulberry (Morus Alba L.) leaf (ML) ameliorates atherosclerosis in apoE(-/-) mice. Although the adipocytokine dysregulation is an important risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the effect of ML on metabolic disorders related to adipocytokine dysregulation and inflammation has not been studied. Therefore, we studied the effects of ML in metabolic disorders and examined the mechanisms by which ML ameliorates metabolic disorders in db/db mice. We treated db/db mice with ML, pioglitazone, or both for 12 weeks and found that ML decreased blood glucose and plasma triglyceride. Co-treatment with ML and pioglitazone showed additive effects compared with pioglitazone. Moreover, their co-treatment attenuated the body weight increase observed under the pioglitazone treatment. ML treatment also increased the expression of adiponectin, and decreased the expression of TNF-alpha, MCP-1, and macrophage markers in white adipose tissue (WAT). Furthermore, ML decreased lipid peroxides and the expression of NADPH oxidase subunits in WAT and liver. Their co-treatment enhanced these effects. Thus, ML ameliorates adipocytokine dysregulation at least in part through inhibiting oxidative stress in WAT of db/db mice, and that ML may be a basis for a pharmaceutical for the treatment of the metabolic syndrome as well as reducing adverse effects of pioglitazone.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) plays a pivotal role in the metabolism of apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins. The defective apoE gene in humans can cause elevated plasma levels of apoB-containing lipoproteins such as chylomicron remnant and intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL). In this study, we examined whether liver-selective high-level expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) could affect the lipoprotein profile and atherogenesis in apoE-deficient ( apoE −/− ) mice. ApoE knockout mice expressing LDLR transgene in liver [ apoE −/− ; Tg ( LDLR +/− )] were prepared after mating apoE −/− mice with the human LDLR transgenic mice. The apoE −/− ; Tg ( LDLR +/− ) and littermate apoE −/− mice were fed a normal diet and sacrificed at 18 weeks of age. (1) The plasma levels of cholesterol and triglyceride in apoE −/− ; Tg ( LDLR +/− ) mice were 51 and 33% lower than those of apoE −/− mice, respectively. (2) In the plasma of apoE −/− ; Tg ( LDLR +/− ) mice, the levels of apoB-containing lipoprotein were reduced and apoB100-containg particles were totally eliminated. (3) By histochemical analysis, apoE −/− ; Tg ( LDLR +/− ) mice showed drastic suppression of early atherogenesis; the lesion area of these mice was 1/70 of that in the littermate apoE −/− mice. These results indicate that, even in apoE-defective subjects, induction of hepatic LDLR expression could protect from early atherogenesis.

Mulberry (Morus Alba L., family Moraceae) leaf extracts have various biological effects including inhibition of oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is the major cause of atherosclerosis. Endothelial dysfunction elicited by oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL) has been implicated in atherogenesis. Lectin-like Ox-LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), a cell-surface receptor for atherogenic Ox-LDL, appears to mediate Ox-LDL-induced inflammation, which may be crucial in atherogenesis. Previous studies revealed that expression of LOX-1 is highly inducible by proinflammatory stimuli, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Therefore, we examined whether mulberry leaf aqueous fractions inhibit LOX-1 expression induced by proinflammatory stimuli. Pretreatment of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) with mulberry leaf aqueous fractions inhibited TNF-alpha- and LPS-induced expression of LOX-1 at both protein and mRNA levels in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In contrast, mulberry leaf aqueous fractions did not affect TGF-beta-induced LOX-1 expression. Furthermore, mulberry leaf aqueous fractions inhibited TNF-alpha-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and phosphorylation of inhibitory factor of NF-kappaB-alpha (IkappaB-alpha) in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion. Thus, mulberry leaf aqueous fractions suppress TNF-alpha- and LPS-induced LOX-1 gene expression, by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation.