Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to confirm the effect of Plantago depressa Willd (PD) pharmacopuncture, specifically a rich extract of polysaccharides and flavonoids, on reducing fat deposition in local areas using a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. Methods: Obesity was induced in C57BL/6 with a high-fat diet for 7 weeks. The right inguinal fat pad was injected with 100 μL of physiological saline as a control, and the left inguinal fat pad was injected with 100 μL of PD extract at a concentration of 0.6 mg (equivalent to 20 mg/kg). PD extract was injected a total of 6 times, 3 times a week for 2 weeks starting from the 5th week of high-fat diet feeding. After treatment, the weight of the inguinal fat pad were confirmed, and the size of adipocytes was assessed through histological analysis using H&E staining. Furthermore, Western blot analysis was conducted on enzymes associated with lipolysis to evaluate molecular changes both in vivo and in vitro. Results: In the inguinal fat treated with PD pharmacopuncture, a significant reduction in the weight and size of the inguinal adipose tissues was observed compared to the vehicle. The expression of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), factors related to lipolysis, was increased in the adipose tissue in the local area where PD was injected. Additionally, the formation of lipid droplets was suppressed, and enzymes related to lipolysis were increased by PD extract treatment in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Conclusion: The PD pharmacopuncture effectively reduced fat mass in the inguinal fat pads of mice with obesity and promoted lipolysis by increasing the activity of lipolytic enzymes.