Thread: Guggulsterones issue once again

I do not know whether this has been posted in the past.

I was just wanted to know whether there is scientific support in guggulsterones ( in addition to the estrogenic effects being claimed by ppl)

I came to this recent one as well.

Guggulsterone Inhibits Adipocyte Differentiation and Induces Apoptosis in 3T3-L1 Cells

Jeong-Yeh Yang1, Mary Anne Della-Fera1 and Clifton A Baile1,2

1. 1Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
2. 2Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA

Correspondence: Clifton A. Baile, (cbaile@uga.edu)
Received 8 March 2007; Accepted 29 May 2007.

Top of pageAbstract

Objective:

To determine the effects of guggulsterone (GS), the active substance in guggulipid, on apoptosis, adipogenesis, and lipolysis using 3T3-L1 cells.


Methods and Procedures:

For apoptosis and lipolysis experiments, mature adipocytes were treated with GS isomers. Viability, apoptosis, and caspase 3/7 activation were quantified using MTS, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), caspase-Glo 3/7 activity assay, respectively. The expression of cytochrome c was demonstrated by western blot. Lipolysis was quantified by measuring the release of glycerol. For adipogenesis experiments, postconfluent preadipocytes were incubated with GS isomers for up to 6 days during maturation. Adipogenesis was quantified by measuring lipid content using Nile Red dye. Western blot was also used to demonstrate the adipocyte-specific transcription factors peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor 2 (PPAR2), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), and C/EBP.


Results:

In mature adipocytes cis-GS decreased viability, whereas the trans-GS isomer had little effect. Both isomers caused dose-dependent increases in apoptosis and cis-GS was more effective than trans-GS in inducing apoptosis. cis- and trans-GS also increased caspase-3 activity and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. In maturing preadipocytes, both isomers were equally effective in reducing lipid content. The adipocyte-specific transcription factors PPAR2, C/EBP, and C/EBP were downregulated after treatment with cis-GS during the maturation period. Furthermore, cis-GS increased basal lipolysis of mature adipocytes, but trans-GS had no effect.


Discussion:

These results indicate that GS isomers may exert antiobesity effects by inhibiting differentiation of preadipocytes, and by inducing apoptosis and promoting lipolysis of mature adipocytes. The cis-GS isomer was more potent than the trans-GS isomer in inducing apoptosis and lipolysis in mature adipocytes.

The expression of cytochrome c was demonstrated by western blot. Lipolysis was quantified by measuring the release of glycerol. For adipogenesis experiments, postconfluent preadipocytes were incubated with GS isomers for up to 6 days during maturation. Adipogenesis was quantified by measuring lipid content using Nile Red dye. Western blot was also used to demonstrate the adipocyte-specific transcription factors peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor 2 (PPAR2), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein