Abstract
AbstractCells with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were studied to determine the mechanism of liver deficiency via the AdipoR2-PPARa pathway. NAFLD cells were randomly divided into a normal control group, blank control group, model group, low dose group, medium dose group, and high dose group. The NAFLD models were established by incubating the cells with linoleic acid (LA) and palmitic acid (PA) (2:1) for 24 h. The test groups were incubated with different doses of Shugan Xiaozhi Fang extract. The pathological changes in cells that accumulated lipids were detected by Oil Red O staining. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and triglyceride (TG) levels were measured. The apoptosis of cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. The levels of AdipoR2, PPARa, CD36, acyl-CoA mRNA, and protein were confirmed by RT- PCR and Western blot. The results of the Oil Red O staining demonstrated that the NAFLD cell model was successfully established. Compared with the model group, the levels of TG and MDA in the groups that received low, medium, and high doses of Shugan Xiaozhi were significantly lower (P<0.01), and a dose effect was evident. In addition, the expression of AdipoR2, PPARa, CD36, acyl-CoA protein, and mRNA in the Shugan Xiaozhi-treated groups was upregulated. Furthermore, the levels of AdipoR2, PPAR, CD36, acyl-CoA protein, and mRNA in all drug treatment groups that were extracted from L-O2 normal human hepatocytes were significantly upregulated (P<0.01). Moreover, the factor pattern of HepG2 human liver carcinoma cells was similar to that of L-O2. The levels of AdipoR, CD36, acyl-CoA, and AdipoR mRNA in the HepG2 low group were increased (P<0.05). AdipoR, PPAR, CD36, and acyl-CoA protein levels and AdipoR mRNA expression were significantly increased in the intermediate dose group and high dose group (P<0.01). Shugan Xiaozhi Fang attenuates hepatic lipid deposition in NAFLD induced by incubating with LA and PA for 24 h, which is associated with the activation of the AdipoR2-PPARα pathway.
Highlights
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is severely debilitating the health of people in China with increasing frequency
A two-hit hypothesis has been widely accepted, which proposes that an increase in free fatty acid and accumulation of fat in the liver are responsible for the pathogenesis of NAFLD [1, 2]{Day, 1998 #1}
The research on the treatment of NALFD with traditional Chinese medicine mostly starts with dampness, phlegm and heat, and seldom considers qi depression as an important pathogenic factor of NALFD [3]
Summary
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is severely debilitating the health of people in China with increasing frequency. A two-hit hypothesis has been widely accepted, which proposes that an increase in free fatty acid and accumulation of fat in the liver are responsible for the pathogenesis of NAFLD [1, 2]{Day, 1998 #1}. The research on the treatment of NALFD with traditional Chinese medicine mostly starts with dampness, phlegm and heat, and seldom considers qi depression (it is a physical state characterized by introversion and instability, melancholy and fragility, sensitivity and suspicion, which is caused by long-term emotional disorder and stagnation of qi) as an important pathogenic factor of NALFD [3]. It is found that the disease is mainly caused by emotional discomfort, liver failure, spleen failure, phlegm-dampness heat, or blood stasis and other pathological factors accumulated in the liver. “depression”, “heat” and “blood stasis” are intertwined, and “liver stagnation and spleen deficiency” are the main clinical syndromes [3]
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