Isorhamnetin (3-O-methylquercetin) is a flavonoid found in onions and red wine that has suggested to have anti-obesity effects. Caenorhabditis elegans is a multi-organ nematode used in obesity research due to its similar fat and energy pathways to the humans. Thus, the goal of this study was to investigate isorhamnetin’s mechanism of actions on fat metabolism using C. elegans. Adult worms were treated with isorhamnetin and given Escherichia coli OP50 as food source. Isorhamnetin at 200 μM reduced 36% of fat accumulation compared to the control in C. elegans. Isorhamnetin did not affect feeding or locomotor behavior, thus its fat-lowering effects are unlikely to be due to changes in food intake or energy expenditure. Isorhamnetin’s fat-lowering effects were dependent on nhr-49, a functional homolog of the mammalian peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), which regulates fatty acid β-oxidation. Furthermore, isorhamnetin upregulated aak-1 and aak-2, homologs of subunits of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which activation to stimulate fat oxidation is dependent on NHR-49 in C. elegans. Therefore, isorhamnetin reduces fat accumulation via NHR-49-dependent mechanism in C. elegans.

Isorhamnetin increases fat oxidation in Caenorhabditis elegans dependent on NHR-49

2019 Spring National Meeting

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