Abstract
To investigate the effect of curcumin on visfatin and zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) expression levels in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Fifty-six male rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=16) and model group (n=40) and were fed on a normal diet or a high-fat diet, respectively. Equal volumes of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were intragastrically administered to the control group for 4 weeks. At the end of the 12th week, visfatin and ZAG protein expression levels were examined by immunohistochemistry. Visfatin mRNA levels were measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Compared with the control group, the model group showed significantly increased expression of visfatin in liver tissue (P < 0.01) and significantly decreased expression of ZAG (P < 0.01). These effects were ameliorated by curcumin treatment. Visfatin and zinc-α2-glycoprotein may be involved in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Treatment of NAFLD in rats by curcumin may be mediated by the decrease of visfatin and the increase of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Highlights
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a group of clinical pathological syndromes, and its disease spectrum includes simple fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and related cirrhosis[1,2,3,4,5]
Visfatin and zinc-α2-glycoprotein may be involved in the pathogenesis of NAFLD
Treatment of NAFLD in rats by curcumin may be mediated by the decrease of visfatin and the increase of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Summary
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a group of clinical pathological syndromes, and its disease spectrum includes simple fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and related cirrhosis[1,2,3,4,5]. The pathogenesis of NAFLD is not yet clear but Day’s “two-strike” theory is accepted by most scholars. Zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) can regulate the activity of lipid metabolic enzymes, and maintain the balance of lipid metabolism to play a protective role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD6-8. There is no satisfactory treatment for NAFLD, and comprehensive therapies are usually performed in clinics. There are efficacy and safety concerns regarding a variety of drugs intended for the treatment of NAFLD. Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric[9], and research has shown that it has some therapeutic effect on NAFLD10,11.
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