Abstract
We investigated the effects of a Leonurus japonicus ethanol extract (LJE) on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). An in vitro model of hepatic steatosis was treated with 1 mM free fatty acid (FFA) in HepG2 cells. An in vivo NAFLD model was established using C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and administered LJE (100 or 200 mg/kg) orally for 14 weeks. LJE treatment suppressed lipid accumulation and intracellular triglyceride levels significantly in a concentration-dependent manner in HepG2 cells. Moreover, LJE significantly reduced the expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1-c, and its downstream genes, which are associated with lipogenesis, in HepG2 cells. In HFD-fed mice, LJE treatment decreased body weight significantly and decreased serum alanine transaminase levels to normal values, concurrent with a decrease in hepatic lipid accumulation. Furthermore, LJE supplementation ameliorated insulin sensitivity by decreasing serum glucose and insulin levels. LJE improved hepatic steatosis by increasing the expression of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α in HFD-fed mice and FFA-treated HepG2 cells. The results suggested that LJE might be a potential therapeutic agent to treat NAFLD.
Highlights
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease closely associated with metabolic diseases [1]
NAFLD represents a wide range of pathological liver damage, from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis associated with inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis [2,3]
SCD-1,cells, and further expression reduced in Leonurus japonicus ethanol extract (LJE)-treated. These results indicated that LJE treatment downregulated lipogenesis markers in free fatty acid (FFA)-induced HepG2 cells, further suggesting that the suppression of TG accumulation is involved in the LJE-induced accumulation
Summary
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease closely associated with metabolic diseases [1]. Long-term HFD-induced NAFLD animal models provide useful information to test the therapeutic effects of various agents, as well as to elucidate the pathogenesis of NAFLD [5,6]. Pharmacological treatments for NAFLD include lipid-lowering agents (statins, fibrates), insulin sensitizers (metformin, thiazolidinediones), cytoprotective and antioxidant agents (bile acids, vitamin E), and anti-obesity drugs (orlistat) [9]. These drugs are not liver-specific agents and increase the risk of side effects caused by long-term ingestion. There has been no investigation of the effects of L. japonicus on NAFLD caused by HFD-induced obesity. We investigated the pharmacological effects of an L. japonicus ethanol extract (LJE) on the improvement of NAFLD via in vitro and in vivo models
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.