Stachyose Induces Browning Process of White Adipocyte Partly via AMPK Pathway in Vitro

The transformation of white to beige adipocytes is a promising method for the treatment of obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of stachyose on the regulation of adipocytes browning. The 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and C3H10T1/2 multipotent stem cells were differentiated into mature adipocytes with stachyose (0.5, 2.0 mg/mL). Results showed that the treatment of stachyose significantly decreased intracellular lipid accumulation and increased mitochondrial contents in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and C3H10T1/2 cells. Stachyose, which led to an increase of the relative numbers of UCP1-positive cells, has not only promoted the expression of browning-specific genes and proteins but also induced the phosphorylation of AMPK. Be-sides, the addition of AMPK inhibitor (compound C) has reduced the increase in the protein expression of thermogenesis-related markers induced by stachyose, suggesting that AMPK could affect the stachyose-mediated adipocyte browning process. These results indicate that stachyose has a probable effect on the regulation of adipogenesis and prevention of obesity.