Miltefosine Suppresses Hepatic Steatosis by Activating AMPK Signal Pathway

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It has been accepted that AMPK (Adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase) activation exhibits many beneficial effects on glucolipid metabolism. Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is an important lysophospholipid which can improve blood glucose levels in diabetic mice and attenuate inflammation by activating AMPK signal pathway in macrophages. Synthetic alkylphospholipids (ALPs), such as miltefosine, is used as an alternate of LPC for the clinical application. Here, we investigated whether miltefosine could have an impact on hepatic steatosis and related metabolic disorders. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Mice were fed with high fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks to generate an obese model. Next, the obese mice were randomly divided into three groups: saline-treated and miltefosine-treated (2.5 or 5 mg/kg/d) groups. Miltefosine was intraperitoneally administrated into mice for additional 4 weeks plus HFD treatment. KEY RESULTS: It was shown that miltefosine treatment could substantially improve glucose metabolism, prevented hepatic lipid accumulation, and inhibited liver inflammation in HFD-fed mice by activating AMPK signal pathway. In vitro, miltefosine stimulated AMPKα phosphorylation both in time and dose dependent manner and decreased lipid accumulation in liver cells. When a specific AMPK inhibitor compound C was used to treat mice, the antagonistic effects of miltefosine on HFD-induced mouse hyperlipidaemia and liver steatosis were abolished. Treatment with miltefosine also dramatically inhibited the HFD-induced liver inflammation in mice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Here we demonstrated that miltefosine might be a new activator of AMPK signal pathway in vivo and in vitro and be useful for treatment of hepatic steatosis and related metabolic disorders.