Abstract

 
 
 
 Purpose: To investigate the effect of Peony seed oil (PO) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the underlying mechanism of action.
 Methods: A mouse model of NAFLD was established using high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Serum levels of triacylglycerol (TG), total cholesterol (TC), glucose and free fatty acids (FFAs) were determined. Activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine amino transferase (ALT) were assayed in liver homogenates, while mRNA and protein expressions of GRP78, x-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) and phosphorylated inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (p-IRE1α) were assayed in liver tissue using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively. Expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were also determined by qRT-PCR.
 Results: HFD diet led to significant increases in body weight as well as serum TG, TC, glucose and FFA levels. However, treatment with PO significantly reversed the effect of HFD on these parameters (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression levels of TNF- α, IL-6 and IL-1β were significantly higher in HFD control group than in normal control group, but were significantly reduced after PO treatment (p < 0.05). The protein expression levels of GRP78, XBP-1 and p-IRE1α significantly increased in the liver of NAFLD group, when compared with normal control rats, but were significantly downregulated by treatment with PO (p < 0.05).
 Conclusion: PO attenuates HFD-induced NAFLD via inactivation of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) pathway. Thus, PO has potentials for the treatment of NAFLD but further studies are required to ascertain this.
 
 
 
Highlights
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a metabolic syndrome characterized by liver TG levels exceeding 5 % by weight in the absence of excessive alcohol consumption (< 20 g per day), is closely related to insulin resistance, obesity and diabetes mellitus [1]
The activities of AST and ALT, as well as levels of TG were determined in the supernatants
ELISA kits were used for determination of the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, and IL-6
Summary
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a metabolic syndrome characterized by liver TG levels exceeding 5 % by weight in the absence of excessive alcohol consumption (< 20 g per day), is closely related to insulin resistance, obesity and diabetes mellitus [1]. Activation of IRE1α induces the splicing of end pieces of XBP-1 mRNA required for normal fatty acid synthesis in the liver. The upregulation of transcripts of ER stress is correlated with inflammasome priming and liver fat accumulation in NASH patients. This highlights their relevance in development of the disease. The present study was carried out to investigate the possible protective effect of PO against NAFLD, and to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. This study was carried out in accordance with the National Institutes of Health Laboratory Animal Care and Use Guidelines [10]. Values of p < 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant
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