Cocoa polyphenols treatment ameliorates visceral obesity by reduction lipogenesis and promoting fatty acid oxidation genes in obese rats through interfering with AMPK pathway

This study was conducted to investigate the pharmacological activity of cocoa polyphenols (CPs) on visceral obesity markers and the possible mechanisms. In this study, Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were fed either a low-fat diet (LFD) or a high-fat diet (HFD). After 12 wk of diet intervention, only one group of HFD rats (n = 10/group) were treated at a dose of 600mg/kg bw/day CPs (HFD+CPs) for 4 wk. The gene and protein expression levels of phosphorylation of AMPK-activated protein kinase alpha/beta(AMPK alpha/beta) were measured using realtime-PCR and Western blotting. The mRNA expression of lipogenic key enzymes(Acaca, Fasn, Mcat, and Scd-1), and beta-oxidation key enzymes (CPT1, Prkaa1, Acox1) were investigated. In addition, the upstream transcription factors (PPAR alpha, PPAR gamma, C/EBP alpha, and SREBP-1c) were also examined. In accordance with these findings, CPs treatment improved visceral adiposity, adipocytes hypertrophy, and liver steatosis. AMP-activated protein kinase alpha/beta (AMPK alpha/beta) phosphorylation in liver and adipose tissue of HFD+CPs-treated rats was activated compared with HFD-fed rats. The expression of lipogensis related-genes was decreased, while expression levels of beta-oxidation-related genes were increased compared with HFD-fed rats. Together, these data partially unravel the ameliorative effects of CPs treatment on visceral obesity markers by inhibiting lipogenesis and promoting beta-oxidation related-genes through activation of the AMPK pathway. Practical applications: There is a metabolic logic linking the expended visceral or abdominal fat depot to dyslipidemia. The conceivability of using a natural dietary supplement to regulate lipid metabolism homeostasis is appealing as this by product of the defatted cocoa juice industry is non-toxic, cheap, and has shown hypolipidemic properties. This is essentially significant in the context of the rising costs of obesity and its related diseases care. The ability of polyphenolics to suppress SREBP-1c, the target of statins, while activating PPAR alpha, the target of fibrates, suggest it can naturally find its role in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.