Do In Seung Gi-Tang extract suppresses adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells

Blood stasis syndrome (BSS), additionally called Eohyul, is a basic pathological concept in Traditional Korean Medicine. Do In Seung Gi-Tang (DISGT) is herbal medicine used for the treatment of BSS. It primarily treats metabolic diseases (MDs) including obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and gynecological diseases, by promoting blood circulation. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-adipogenesis effect of DISGT in 3T3-L1 adipocytes using Oil Red O staining, and assessing levels of triglycerides (TGs) and leptin in adipocytes by ELISA and western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that DISGT treatment had inhibitory effects on fat droplet formation, TG accumulation, leptin production and cytokine content, during 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation, without affecting cell viability. Additionally, DISGT treatment significantly suppressed the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ and CAAT/enhancer binding protein α. These results provide evidence that DISGT has anti-adipogenesis effects on preadipocytes and adipocytes by significantly blocking adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation, and suppressing adipogenic gene expression. Therefore, the present study demonstrated the potential of DISGT as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of MDs.