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Gabuza K, Mabuda TI, Patel O, Khuboni N, van Aarde R, Riedel S, Sangweni NF, Windvogel S, Johnson R, Muller CJF. Afriplex GRTTM extract attenuates hepatic steatosis in an in vitro model of NAFLD. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297572. [PMID: 38630788 PMCID: PMC11023570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, it is acknowledged that vitamin E, insulin sensitizers and anti-diabetic drugs are used to manage non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), however, these therapeutic interventions harbour adverse side effects. Pioglitazone, an anti-diabetic drug, is currently the most effective therapy to manage NAFLD. The use of natural medicines is widely embraced due to the lack of evidence of their negative side effects. Rooibos has been previously shown to decrease inflammation and oxidative stress in experimental models of diabetes, however, this is yet to be explored in a setting of NAFLD. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of an aspalathin-rich green rooibos extract (Afriplex GRTTM) against markers of hepatic oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in an in vitro model of NAFLD. METHODS Oleic acid [1 mM] was used to induce hepatic steatosis in C3A liver cells. Thereafter, the therapeutic effect of Afriplex GRTTM, with or without pioglitazone, was determined by assessing its impact on cell viability, changes in mitochondrial membrane potential, intracellular lipid accumulation and the expression of genes and proteins (ChREBP, SREBF1, FASN, IRS1, SOD2, Caspase-3, GSTZ1, IRS1 and TNF-α) that are associated with the development of NAFLD. RESULTS Key findings showed that Afriplex GRTTM added to the medium alone or combined with pioglitazone, could effectively block hepatic lipid accumulation without inducing cytotoxicity in C3A liver cells exposed oleic acid. This positive outcome was consistent with effective regulation of genes involved in insulin signaling, as well as carbohydrate and lipid metabolism (IRS1, SREBF1 and ChREBP). Interestingly, in addition to reducing protein levels of an inflammatory marker (TNF-α), the Afriplex GRTTM could ameliorate oleic acid-induced hepatic steatotic damage by decreasing the protein expression of oxidative stress and apoptosis related markers such as GSTZ1 and caspase-3. CONCLUSION Afriplex GRTTM reduced hepatic steatosis in oleic acid induced C3A liver cells by modulating SREBF1, ChREBP and IRS-1 gene expression. The extract may also play a role in alleviating inflammation by reducing TNF-α expression, suggesting that additional experiments are required for its development as a suitable therapeutic option against NAFLD. Importantly, further research is needed to explore its antioxidant role in this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwazi Gabuza
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thendo I. Mabuda
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Oelfah Patel
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Noxolo Khuboni
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, eMpangeni, South Africa
| | - Ruzayda van Aarde
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sylvia Riedel
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nonhlakanipho F. Sangweni
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shantal Windvogel
- Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rabia Johnson
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
- Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christo J. F. Muller
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Parow Valley, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, eMpangeni, South Africa
- Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
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Abrahams Y, Willmer T, Patel O, Samodien E, Muller CJF, Windvogel S, Johnson R, Pheiffer C. A high fat, high sugar diet induces hepatic Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha promoter hypermethylation in male Wistar rats. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 680:25-33. [PMID: 37713959 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Previously we reported that a high fat, high sugar (HFHS) diet induced adiposity, hyperinsulinaemia, hyperleptinaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and increased liver mass in male Wistar rats. In the present study, the mechanisms underlying the increased liver mass were further elucidated by assessing hepatic lipid accumulation and the expression and methylation status of key metabolic genes using histology, quantitative real-time PCR and pyrosequencing, respectively. The HFHS diet induced hepatic steatosis, increased hepatic triglycerides (1.8-fold, p < 0.001), and increased the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (Srebf1) (2.0-fold, p < 0.001) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparg) (1.7-fold, p = 0.017) in the liver. The expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (Pgc1a) was decreased (2.6-fold, p < 0.010), which was accompanied by hypermethylation (p = 0.018) of a conserved CpG site in the promoter of Pgc1a in HFHS fed rats compared to controls. In silico analysis identified putative binding sites for CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPß) and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 (HNF1) within proximity to the hypermethylated CpG. As Pgc1a is a co-activator of several transcription factors regulating multiple metabolic pathways, hypermethylation of this conserved CpG site in the promoter of Pgc1a may be one possible mechanism contributing to the development of hepatic steatosis in response to a HFHS diet. However, further work is required to confirm the role of Pgc1a in steatosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonus Abrahams
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa; Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Tarryn Willmer
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa; Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa; Division of Cell Biology, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Oelfah Patel
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa; Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Ebrahim Samodien
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Christo J F Muller
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa; Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, Kwadlangezwa, South Africa
| | - Shantal Windvogel
- Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Rabia Johnson
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa; Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Carmen Pheiffer
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, South Africa; Centre for Cardio-Metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
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du Plessis S, Omolaoye T, Windvogel S. Testicular oxidative stress and apoptosis status in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats after treatment with rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia), and sutherlandia (Lessertia frutescens) infusions. Asian Pac J Reprod 2021. [DOI: 10.4103/2305-0500.306432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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Smit-Van Schalkwyk M, Windvogel S, Strijdom H. Rooibos ( Aspalathus linearis) protects against nicotineinduced vascular injury and oxidative stress in Wistar rats. Cardiovasc J Afr 2020; 31:81-90. [PMID: 32031565 DOI: 10.5830/cvja-2019-052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) is an indigenous South African plant, traditionally used by the local population as a remedy against several ailments. More recently, rooibos was shown to exhibit potent antioxidant properties, attributed to its polyphenols. We assessed whether treatment with fermented rooibos (RF), unfermented rooibos (RUF) and melatonin (Mel), a well-documented antioxidant included for comparison, could counter the harmful vascular and pro-oxidant effects of nicotine. METHODS Vascular function, antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation were assessed in male adult rats treated with nicotine (5 mg/kg body weight/day) and 2% RF, 2% RUF or 4% Mel co-administration. Nitric oxide (NO) production and cell viability were measured in nicotine-exposed rat aortic endothelial cells (AECs) pre-treated with RF (0.015 mg/ml). RESULTS Vascular studies showed that co-administration with RF or Mel exerted anti-contractile and pro-relaxation responses in aortic rings, and increased hepatic superoxide dismutase and catalase activity in nicotine-exposed animals. Co-treatment with Mel additionally decreased lipid peroxidation in nicotine-exposed rats. RUF exerted anti-contractile responses in aortic rings of nicotine-treated animals, while in nicotine-exposed AECs, RF pre-treatment increased intracellular NO levels. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, we have shown that rooibos co-treatment exerted beneficial vascular effects in nicotine-exposed rats, and that this was associated with increased antioxidant enzyme activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Smit-Van Schalkwyk
- Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa, Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa.
| | - Shantal Windvogel
- Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa, Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Hans Strijdom
- Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa, Division of Medical Physiology, Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
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Maritz GS, Windvogel S. Chronic maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation and the development of the lung parenchyma in the offspring. Pathophysiology 2003; 10:69-75. [PMID: 14643906 DOI: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2003.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF MATERNAL NICOTINE EXPOSURE DURING GESTATION AND LACTATION ON: (1) the development of the gas exchange area of the lungs of the offspring; and (2) to determine whether these effects are reversible. Pregnant rats received daily nicotine (subcutaneously 1mgkg(-1) body weight) during gestation and lactation. Nicotine administration started 1 day after mating and lasted until weaning on postnatal day 21. The offspring were exposed to nicotine via the placenta and mother's milk only. The lung tissue of the neonates was collected on postnatal days 14, 21, 35 and 42 and prepared for morphometry. The results obtained show that maternal nicotine exposure resulted in bigger alveolar volumes and suppressed alveolarisation in the lungs of the offspring. Flattening of the alveoli occurred as the animals aged and as a consequence the internal surface area available for gas exchange decreased; a condition that resembles panlobular emphysema. It is unlikely that these effects of maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation on lung development in the offspring was due to a lower birth weight, or a reduction in the period of gestation, or a poor supply of nutrients to the offspring. The changes in the gas-exchange region of the nicotine-exposed rat pups appear to be irreversible.
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Affiliation(s)
- G S. Maritz
- Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape, 7535, Bellville, South Africa
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Maritz GS, Windvogel S. Is maternal copper supplementation during alveolarization protecting the developing rat lung against the adverse effects of maternal nicotine exposure? A morphometric study. Exp Lung Res 2003; 29:243-60. [PMID: 12746049 DOI: 10.1080/01902140303785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In a previous study, it was shown that maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation interfered with alveolarization and resulted in gradual deterioration of the lung parenchyma, resulting in microscopic emphysema. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the long-term effects of maternal nicotine exposure (1 mg/kg body weight/day, subcutaneous [sc] from the onset of the phase of rapid alveolarization, which occur from postnatal day 4 in rats, on (1) the development of the gas-exchange area of the lungs of the offspring and, (2) whether maternal copper supplementation (1 mg/kg body weight/day, SC) during the same period of time will prevent the effect of maternal nicotine exposure on the development of the neonatal rat lung. Nicotine administration lasted until weaning on postnatal day 21. The day of birth was designated day 0. The offspring were exposed to nicotine via the mother's milk only. The experimental animals received no nicotine or copper after postnatal day 21. The lung tissue of the neonates was collected on postnatal days 14, 21, and 42 and prepared for morphometry. The results obtained show that maternal nicotine exposure had no influence on body weight, chest circumference, crown-rump length, and lung volume, but resulted in bigger alveolar volumes and suppressed alveolarization in the lungs of the offspring. Copper supplementation during this period of lung development reduced the adverse effect of maternal nicotine exposure on neonatal lung development. Even though copper reduced the adverse effects of maternal nicotine exposure during this phase of lung development, it did not prevent the induction of microscopic emphysema.
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Affiliation(s)
- G S Maritz
- Department of Physiological Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
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