Wheat Alkylresorcinols Modulate High-Fat Diet Induced Hepatic Steatosis and Insulin Resistance Through Activating AMPK Signaling Pathway

Wheat alkylresorcinols (ARs) are phenolic lipids present in the bran part of whole grain wheat, which have been proven to improve obesity and atherosclerosis. However, the effects of ARs on hepatic steatosis and their possible mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, ARs intervention significantly attenuated high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. Meanwhile, RNA-seq and western-blot analysis in liver tissues among different treatment groups detected significant changes in pathways related to glycolipid metabolism, especially AMPK signaling pathway and transmission. Moreover, ARs treatment dose-dependently improved glucolipid metabolism through AMPK activation and GLUT4 translocation in PA-treated AML12 mouse hepatocytes model. However, the protective effect of ARs was reversed after pretreatment with AMPK inhibitor. Taken together, ARs can be used as a dietary functional ingredient to ameliorate glycolipid metabolic disorders.