Flindissone, a Limonoid Isolated from Trichilia prieuriana, Is an LXR Agonist

J Nat Prod. 2023 Aug 25;86(8):1901-1909. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c00059. Epub 2023 Aug 1.

Abstract

In this study, the ability of six limonoids from Trichilia prieuriana (Meliaceae) to activate the liver X receptor (LXR) was assessed. One of these limonoids, flindissone, was shown to activate LXR by reporter-gene assays. Flindissone is a ring-intact limonoid, structurally similar to sterol-like LXR ligands. In endogenous cellular settings, flindissone showed an activity profile that is characteristic of LXR agonists. It induced cholesterol efflux in THP-1 macrophages by increasing the cholesterol transporter ABCA1 and ABCG1 gene expression. In HepG2 cells, flindissone induced the expression of IDOL, an LXR-target gene that is associated with the downregulation of the LDL receptor. However, unlike synthetic and similarly to sterol-based LXR agonists, flindissone did not induce the expression of the SREBP1c gene, a major transcription factor regulating de novo lipogenesis. Additionally, flindissone also appeared to be able to inhibit post-translational activation of SREBP1c. The results presented here reveal a natural product as a new LXR agonist and point to an additional property of T. prieuriana and other plant extracts containing flindissone.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cholesterol / metabolism
  • Limonins* / pharmacology
  • Liver X Receptors / metabolism
  • Meliaceae*
  • Orphan Nuclear Receptors / genetics

Substances

  • Liver X Receptors
  • Limonins
  • Orphan Nuclear Receptors
  • Cholesterol