Salutary effect of bitter melon on lipidemia via liver AMPK regulation

More than a billion people globally are obese and exhibit a wide array of metabolic complications including dyslipidemia. These diseases require multiple interventions and there is an increasing trend in the use of natural and complementary therapies. We have demonstrated the beneficial effects of Momordica charantia (bitter melon, BM) to lower plasma and hepatic lipids as well as apolipoprotein B (apoB) in mice fed high‐fat‐diet (HFD). Independent studies have shown BM to activate AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) in vitro . AMPK activity is shown to regulate cellular metabolism including lipid metabolism. We tested the hypothesis that BM will inhibit hepatic triglyceride (TG) and apoB secretion in HFD‐fed mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed HFD with and without BM for 16 weeks. Effect of BM on hepatic TG and apoB secretion was determined based on accumulation of plasma TG and apoB after Triton WR1339 injection. BM treatment reduced hepatic triglyceride secretion rate by 66% as compared to control, with a concomitant reduction in plasma TG and apoB levels in mice fed HFD. Lipid reductions were paralleled by increased Thr‐172 phosphorylation of hepatic AMPK in mice fed HFD with BM. Lipid lowering effects of BM is possibly achieved via hepatic AMPK phosphorylation and demonstrates the potential of BM to ameliorate obesity‐associated dyslipidemia. [Funding: NCCAM (R21AT003719) and RCMI, NCRR (G12RR003061), NIH].