Hugan QingzhiExerts Anti-Inflammatory Effects in a Rat Model of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Ethnopharmacological Relevance. The Hugan Qingzhi tablet (HQT) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for treating NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease). The present study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of HQT in rats with NAFLD.Materials and Methods. HQT was administered daily to the NAFLD experimental groups. Biochemical markers, histopathological data, and oxidative stress/antioxidant biomarkers were determined. Proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay. Expressions of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and acetylated-nuclear-factor kappaB-p65 (Ac-NF-κB-p65) were performed by western blotting.Results. At high and moderate doses, HQT was highly effective in decreasing serum alanine aminotransferase (P<0.01), aspartate aminotransferase (P<0.01), hepatic total cholesterol (P<0.01), triglycerides (P<0.01), and free fatty acid levels (P<0.01). Moreover, high and moderate doses of HQT reduced hepatic levels of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α(P<0.01), IL-1β(P<0.01), and IL-6 (P<0.01), enhanced SIRT1 expression, and depressed Ac-NF-κB-p65 expression at protein level.Conclusions. In our NAFLD rat model, HQT exerted substantial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, possibly involving the regulation of SIRT1 and Ac-NF-κB-p65 expression.