Artemisinin Reduces Lipid Accumulation in Hepatocytes by Inhibition of CD36 Expression

Background: Artemisinin, a kind of sesquiterpene lactone endoperoxide, is isolated from Artemisia annua., has been used to effectively treat different forms of malaria. Recently, some researchers showed that artemisinin decreased serum triacylglycerol in rats. However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Aim: In this study, we investigated the effect of artemisinin on lipid accumulation in an in vitro model of NAFLD. Methods: The cytotoxicity of OA and artemisinin on SMMC-7721 cells was measured by using the WST-8 based Colorimetric Assay Cell Counting kit8. To establish an in vitro cellular model of NAFLD, the human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells were treated with OA. Lipid and TAG contents were measured by Oil Red O staining and enzymatic assay. Effects of artemisinin on expression of lipogenic and lipolytic genes in SMMC-7721 cells were analyzed by RT-PCR, real time PCR and Western Blotting. Results: The in vitro model of NAFLD was constructed in SMMC-7721 cells with the addition of 1.0 mM OA. Artemisinin reduced intracellular lipid accumulation and TAG concentration in SMMC-7721 cells induced by OA. The addition of artemisnin induced a decrease in the mRNA and protein level of CD36, while it had no effect on both mRNA and protein level of PPARα and SREBP1. Conclusion: Artemisinin can reduce hepatocellular lipid accumulation and triacylglycerol content via the inhibition of CD36 expression.