Lingonberry Improves Hepatic Lipid Metabolism by Targeting Notch1 Signaling

Area of Science:

• Hepatology and Nutritional Science
• Molecular Biology
• Metabolic Disease Research

Background:

• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by impaired hepatic lipid metabolism and lacks effective treatments.
• Notch signaling pathway plays a crucial role in regulating hepatic lipid metabolism.
• Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.), rich in anthocyanins, exhibits notable lipid-lowering effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of lingonberry on Notch signaling and hepatic lipid metabolism in a mouse model of NAFLD.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying lingonberry's potential hepatoprotective effects.

Main Methods:

• Establishment of a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD mouse model.
• Administration of lingonberry supplementation to HFD-fed mice.
• Analysis of hepatic gene expression related to lipid metabolism and Notch signaling.
• Validation using a palmitic acid-induced cellular model (HepG2 cells).

Main Results:

• HFD induced fatty liver and activated hepatic Notch1 signaling in mice.
• Lingonberry supplementation inhibited Notch1 signaling and improved lipid profiles.
• Lingonberry extract and cyanidin-3-glucoside reduced intracellular triglyceride accumulation in HepG2 cells.
• Lingonberry modulated genes involved in lipogenesis (SREBP-1c) and fatty acid oxidation (CPT1α, ACOX1).

Conclusions:

• Lingonberry exerts hepatoprotective effects in NAFLD, partly by inhibiting Notch1 signaling.
• This inhibition improves hepatic lipid metabolism, offering a potential therapeutic avenue for NAFLD.