Mouse Anti-Sibutramine monoclonal antibody, clone SBTM

Objective The increasing global prevalence of obesity and its associated disorders points to an urgent need for the development of novel and effective strategies for the prevention of weight gain. Here, we investigated the potential of alpha-cedrene, a volatile sesquiterpene compound derived from cedarwood oil, in regulation of obesity and delineated the mechanisms involved. Methods For the prevention of obesity, C57BL/6 N mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and were orally administered either with vehicle or alpha-cedrene for 8 weeks. For the therapy of obesity, obese Sprague Dawley rats, induced by a HFD for 8 weeks, were orally treated either with vehicle or alpha-cedrene for 12 weeks. To determine whether the action of alpha-cedrene was Adcy3 dependent, Adcy3 heterozygous null mice (Adcy3(+/-)) and wild-type controls were fed either HFD or alpha-cedrene supplemented HFD for 17 weeks. Results Oral alpha-cedrene administration prevented or reversed HFD-induced obesity and abnormal metabolic aberrations in rodents, without affecting their food intake. Downregulation of Adcy3 expression by small interfering RNA abrogated the beneficial effects of alpha-cedrene on the oxygen consumption rate and intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Similarly, in Adcy3(+/-) mice, the alpha-cedrene-driven suppression of body weight gain observed in wild-type mice was substantially (similar to 50%) attenuated. Expression of thermogenic and lipid oxidation genes was increased in adipose tissues of alpha-cedrene-treated mice, with concomitant downregulation of adipogenic gene expression. These beneficial molecular changes elicited by alpha-cedrene were blunted in adipose tissues of Adcy3(+/-) mice. Conclusions Our results highlight the potential of alpha-cedrene for antiobesity interventions and suggest that the antiobesity effect of alpha-cedrene is mediated by Adcy3 in adipose tissues.

Illegal chemicals, which could cause unpredictable side effects, may be added into traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for a rapid healing effect. In this report, a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis method for five kinds of illegally added drugs (rosiglitazone maleate, phenformin hydrochloride, metformin hydrochloride, pioglitazone hydrochloride and sibutramine hydrochloride) in Chinese traditional patent medicine (CTPM) has been demonstrated, including simultaneous detections of drug mixtures with CTPM. Silver colloidal, prepared by a sodium citrate reaction, was used as a SERS substrate. The optimum pH condition for each drug has also been explored because of its combined effect on protonation, surface charge, repulsion of an analyte and nanoparticles. Furthermore, the simultaneous detection of two or three kinds of these chemicals has been carried out. Characteristic peaks are employed for qualitative analysis. This is the first research using SERS for the analysis of drug mixtures in CTPM without any separation process.