The Potential to Fight Obesity with Adipogenesis Modulating Compounds

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2022 Feb 26

PMID 35216415

Authors

Jiaqi Zhao

Ailin Zhou

Wei Qi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Obesity is an increasingly severe public health problem, which brings huge social and economic burdens. Increased body adiposity in obesity is not only tightly associated with type 2 diabetes, but also significantly increases the risks of other chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, fatty liver diseases and cancers. Adipogenesis describes the process of the differentiation and maturation of adipocytes, which accumulate in distributed adipose tissue at various sites in the body. The major functions of white adipocytes are to store energy as fat during periods when energy intake exceeds expenditure and to mobilize this stored fuel when energy expenditure exceeds intake. Brown/beige adipocytes contribute to non-shivering thermogenesis upon cold exposure and adrenergic stimulation, and thereby promote energy consumption. The imbalance of energy intake and expenditure causes obesity. Recent interest in epigenetics and signaling pathways has utilized small molecule tools aimed at modifying obesity-specific gene expression. In this review, we discuss compounds with adipogenesis-related signaling pathways and epigenetic modulating properties that have been identified as potential therapeutic agents which cast some light on the future treatment of obesity.

Citing Articles

Evaluation of antiobesogenic properties of fermented foods: In silico insights.

Jimoh A, Adebo O J Food Sci. 2025; 90(3):e70074.

PMID: 40047326 PMC: 11884235. DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.70074.

Oyster Mushroom () Ethanolic Extract Inhibits Pparg Expression While Maintaining the Methylation of the Promoter During 3T3-L1 Adipocyte Differentiation.

Ariyanto E, Farahana A, Sudirman G, Widiarsih E, Qomarilla N, Rahayu N J Exp Pharmacol. 2025; 17():27-36.

PMID: 39834594 PMC: 11745172. DOI: 10.2147/JEP.S494116.

Phytochemicals in Obesity Management: Mechanisms and Clinical Perspectives.

Rao P Curr Nutr Rep. 2025; 14(1):17.

PMID: 39808373 DOI: 10.1007/s13668-025-00611-w.

Overweight and obesity in domestic cats: epidemiological risk factors and associated pathologies.

Saavedra C, Perez C, Oyarzun C, Torres-Arevalo A J Feline Med Surg. 2024; 26(11):1098612X241285519.

PMID: 39560296 PMC: 11577473. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X241285519.

Royal Jelly Exerts a Potent Anti-Obesity Effect in Rats by Activating Lipolysis and Suppressing Adipogenesis.

Felemban A, Alshammari G, Yagoub A, Saleh A, Yahya M Nutrients. 2024; 16(18).

PMID: 39339774 PMC: 11435164. DOI: 10.3390/nu16183174.

References

Alberdi G, Rodriguez V, Miranda J, Teresa Macarulla M, Churruca I, Portillo M . Thermogenesis is involved in the body-fat lowering effects of resveratrol in rats. Food Chem. 2013; 141(2):1530-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.03.085. View

Gao J, Liao Y, Qiu M, Shen W . Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Neural Stem Cell Homeostasis and Neurological Diseases. Neuroscientist. 2020; 27(1):58-72. DOI: 10.1177/1073858420914509. View

Chen Y, Kim J, Zhang R, Yang X, Zhang Y, Fang J . Histone Demethylase LSD1 Promotes Adipocyte Differentiation through Repressing Wnt Signaling. Cell Chem Biol. 2016; 23(10):1228-1240. DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2016.08.010. View

Rajan A, Shi H, Xue B . Class I and II Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Differentially Regulate Thermogenic Gene Expression in Brown Adipocytes. Sci Rep. 2018; 8(1):13072. PMC: 6117331. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31560-w. View

Wang S, Liang X, Yang Q, Fu X, Zhu M, Rodgers B . Resveratrol enhances brown adipocyte formation and function by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α1 in mice fed high-fat diet. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2016; 61(4). PMC: 5538732. DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201600746. View

Mohammadi A, Sahebkar A, Iranshahi M, Amini M, Khojasteh R, Ghayour-Mobarhan M . Effects of supplementation with curcuminoids on dyslipidemia in obese patients: a randomized crossover trial. Phytother Res. 2012; 27(3):374-9. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.4715. View

Ruiz-Ojeda F, Ruperez A, Gomez-Llorente C, Gil A, Aguilera C . Cell Models and Their Application for Studying Adipogenic Differentiation in Relation to Obesity: A Review. Int J Mol Sci. 2016; 17(7). PMC: 4964416. DOI: 10.3390/ijms17071040. View

Dash S, Xiao C, Morgantini C, Szeto L, Lewis G . High-dose resveratrol treatment for 2 weeks inhibits intestinal and hepatic lipoprotein production in overweight/obese men. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013; 33(12):2895-901. DOI: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.113.302342. View

Briscoe J, Therond P . The mechanisms of Hedgehog signalling and its roles in development and disease. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2013; 14(7):416-29. DOI: 10.1038/nrm3598. View

10.

Jimenez-Gomez Y, Mattison J, Pearson K, Martin-Montalvo A, Palacios H, Sossong A . Resveratrol improves adipose insulin signaling and reduces the inflammatory response in adipose tissue of rhesus monkeys on high-fat, high-sugar diet. Cell Metab. 2013; 18(4):533-45. PMC: 3832130. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2013.09.004. View

11.

Wu X, Li J, Chang K, Yang F, Jia Z, Sun C . Histone H3 methyltransferase Ezh2 promotes white adipocytes but inhibits brown and beige adipocyte differentiation in mice. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids. 2021; 1866(6):158901. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2021.158901. View

12.

Schunk S, Floege J, Fliser D, Speer T . WNT-β-catenin signalling - a versatile player in kidney injury and repair. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2020; 17(3):172-184. DOI: 10.1038/s41581-020-00343-w. View

13.

Lach-Trifilieff E, Minetti G, Sheppard K, Ibebunjo C, Feige J, Hartmann S . An antibody blocking activin type II receptors induces strong skeletal muscle hypertrophy and protects from atrophy. Mol Cell Biol. 2013; 34(4):606-18. PMC: 3911487. DOI: 10.1128/MCB.01307-13. View

14.

Ma J, Wang Y, Ding J, Zhang S, Yang Y, Sun C . SAHA induces white fat browning and rectifies metabolic dysfunctions via activation of ZFPs. J Endocrinol. 2021; 249(3):177-193. DOI: 10.1530/JOE-20-0472. View

15.

Arias N, Pico C, Teresa Macarulla M, Oliver P, Miranda J, Palou A . A combination of resveratrol and quercetin induces browning in white adipose tissue of rats fed an obesogenic diet. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016; 25(1):111-121. DOI: 10.1002/oby.21706. View

16.

Brownsey R, Boone A, Elliott J, Kulpa J, Lee W . Regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Biochem Soc Trans. 2006; 34(Pt 2):223-7. DOI: 10.1042/BST20060223. View

17.

Ahmad B, Serpell C, Fong I, Wong E . Molecular Mechanisms of Adipogenesis: The Anti-adipogenic Role of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase. Front Mol Biosci. 2020; 7:76. PMC: 7226927. DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00076. View

18.

Pernicova I, Korbonits M . Metformin--mode of action and clinical implications for diabetes and cancer. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2014; 10(3):143-56. DOI: 10.1038/nrendo.2013.256. View

19.

Halby L, Champion C, Senamaud-Beaufort C, Ajjan S, Drujon T, Rajavelu A . Rapid synthesis of new DNMT inhibitors derivatives of procainamide. Chembiochem. 2011; 13(1):157-65. DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201100522. View

20.

Farmer S . Transcriptional control of adipocyte formation. Cell Metab. 2006; 4(4):263-73. PMC: 1958996. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2006.07.001. View