The aim of the present study was to investigate whether
magnolol, the essential component of the
traditional Chinese medicine, Magnolia officinalis, can pass through
liver X receptor α (LXRα), to subsequently play an important role in the
lipid metabolic balance. Using a HepG2 human
hepatoma cell line, mammalian cellular one-hybridization and mammalian cell transcriptional activation experiments were performed to detect the combination degree of
magnolol at different concentrations with LXRα, and assess the transcriptional activity. In addition, using a THP-1 human monocytic cell line, quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to assess the effect on the expression levels of downstream genes.
Magnolol was shown to dose-dependently combine with LXRα, and subsequently regulate the transcriptional activity of LXRα. In addition,
magnolol was found to adjust the expression of associated LXRα downstream genes in the macrophages. In conclusion,
magnolol was demonstrated to affect LXRα, which may outline a new molecular mechanism through which
magnolol exerts a
lipid-lowering function.