Modulation by geraniol of gene expression involved in lipid metabolism leading to a reduction of serum-cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

BACKGROUND: Geraniol (G) is a natural isoprenoid present in the essential oils of several aromatic plants, with various biochemical and pharmacologic properties. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of action of G on cellular metabolism are largely unknown. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: We propose that G could be a potential agent for the treatment of hyperlipidemia that could contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to advance our understanding of its mechanism of action on cholesterol and TG metabolism. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: NIH mice received supplemented diets containing 25, 50, and 75 mmol G/kg chow. After a 3-week treatment, serum total-cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured by commercial kits and lipid biosynthesis determined by the [(14)C] acetate incorporated into fatty acids plus nonsaponifiable and total hepatic lipids of the mice. The activity of the mRNA encoding HMGCR-the rate-limiting step in cholesterol biosynthesis-along with the enzyme levels and catalysis were assessed by real-time RT-PCR, Western blotting, and HMG-CoA-conversion assays, respectively. In-silico analysis of several genes involved in lipid metabolism and regulated by G in cultured cells was also performed. Finally, the mRNA levels encoded by the genes for the low-density-lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), the sterol-regulatory-element-binding transcription factor (SREBF2), the very-low-density-lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR), and the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACACA) were determined by real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: Plasma total-cholesterol and triglyceride levels plus hepatic fatty-acid, total-lipid, and nonsaponifiable-lipid biosynthesis were significantly reduced by feeding with G. Even though an up-regulation of the mRNA encoding HMGCR occurred in the G treated mouse livers, the protein levels and specific activity of the enzyme were both inhibited. G also enhanced the mRNAs encoding the LDL and VLDL receptors and reduced ACACA mRNA, without altering the transcription of the mRNA encoding the SREBF2. CONCLUSIONS: The following mechanisms may have mediated the decrease in plasma lipids levels in mice: a down-regulation of hepatocyte-cholesterol synthesis occurred as a result of decreased HMGCR protein levels and catalytic activity; the levels of LDLR mRNA became elevated, thus suggesting an increase in the uptake of serum LDL, especially by the liver; and TG synthesis became reduced very likely because of a decrease in fatty-acid synthesis.

Suppression by geraniol of the growth of A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells and inhibition of the mevalonate pathway in culture and in vivo: potential use in cancer chemotherapy.

Geraniol (G)-a natural compound present in the essential oils of many aromatic plants-has attracted interest for its potential antitumor effects. The molecular mechanisms of the growth inhibition and apoptosis induced by G in cancer cells, however, remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of G on cell proliferation in culture in A549 cells and in vivo in those same tumor cells implanted in nude mice fed diets supplemented with 25, 50, and 75 mmol G/kg. We demonstrated that G caused a dose- and time-dependent growth inhibition of A549 cells and tumor growth in vivo along with an induction of apoptosis. Moreover, further in vivo assays indicated that G decreased the levels of 3-hydroxymethylglutarylcoenzyme-A reductase-the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterogenesis-in a dose-dependent manner along with cholesterogenesis and cholesterolemia in addition to reducing the amount of membrane-bound Ras protein. These results showed that the doses of G used in this work, though nontoxic to animals, clearly inhibited the mevalonate pathway, which is closely linked to cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in A549 tumors, but not in normal mouse-liver cells. Accordingly, we suggest that G displays significant antitumor activity and should be a promising candidate for cancer chemotherapy.