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To explore the effect of total flavones from hawthorn leaf on (THFL) on the expression of COX-2/Nrf2 in the liver tissues of rats with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and discuss its anti-NASH mechanism, thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group, model group, THFL high dose group and low dose group, 8 in each group. High fat diet was given to the rats for 12 weeks to establish the NASH models, and the high and low dose groups were administered with TFHL at the dosage of 250, 125 mg•kg⁻¹•d⁻¹ respectively. Steatosis and the inflammatory changes of the liver tissues in rats were observed by HE staining; T-AOC level was detected by colorimetry; the level of 8-OHdG and the protein expressions of COX-2, Nrf2 and HO-1 in the liver tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry; and the mRNA expressions of COX-2, Nrf2 and HO-1 in liver tissues were detected by Real time-PCR. Compared with the normal group, the liver steatosis, ballooning degeneration for inflammatory degree and NAFLD activity scores (NAS) were significantly increased in model group, while total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was decreased, DNA damage marker 8-OHdG level was increased, and the mRNA and protein expressions of COX-2, Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased. After the administration of high and low dose of TFHL, the inflammation degree of the liver tissues and NAS were significantly decreased, 8-OHdG level and COX-2mRNA and protein expressions were decreased, and the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased when compared with the model group. COX-2/Nrf2 pathway was involved in the development and progression of NASH induced by high fat diet. TFHL could prevent the development of NASH by promoting the expression Nrf2/HO-1, regulating and inhibiting the over expression of COX-2, and further attenuating the cell injury and hepatic inflammation caused by oxidation reaction., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

To study the preventive effect of Grifola frondosa on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The rat model of NASH was established by feeding high-fat diets for 12 weeks and intervened with 0.5 g · kg(-1) · d(-1) and 1.0 g · kg(-1) · d(-1) of C. frondosa powder suspensions. The degrees of hepatocyte fatty degeneration and inflammation were observed under the optical microscope with routine HE staining. The NAFLD activity scores (NAS) were calculated. Serum ALT, AST and hepatic TG and CHOL were tested by the biochemical method. The hepatic MDA was examined by thiobarbituric acid method. The hepatic SOD was tested by the xanthine oxidase test. The hepatic GSH-PX activity was determined by the dithio-nitrobenzoic acid method. Hepatic TNF-α and IL-6 were detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The NASH model group induced by high-fat diets showed higher hepatic NAS, ser- um ALT, AST, CHOL and hepatic TG, CHOL, MDA, TNF-α, IL-6 (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) and lower serum TG and hepatic SOD, GSH-PX (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) than the normal control group. After being intervened with different doses of G. frondosa, the NASH group revealed significantly lower hepatic NAS, serum ALT and hepatic TG, CHOL, MDA, TNF-α and IL-6 (P < 0.05) and higher hepatic SOD, GSH-PX (P < 0.05) than the model group. G. frondosa may prevent the further development of NASH by improving the disorder of lipid metabolism in rats with NASH induced by high-fat diets, relieving the level of oxidative stress and reducing the generation of inflammatory cytokines.

Objective: To explore the role of NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2) and its related factors in the progression of nonalcoholi steatohepatitis (NASH) by investigating the alterations of lipid metabolism and liver histopathology as well as the changes of mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2 and its related factors in rats during NASH progression., Methods: Male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group and model group, which were administrated with high fat diet to establish nonalcoholic steatohepatitis model. The rats from both groups were randomly killed at the end of 4, 12 weeks respectively. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were detected in the serum and liver tissue; Changes in fat deposition in liver tissue were determined by oil red O staining. HE staining were used to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue and to calculate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score (hepatic steatosis, inflammation and ballooning degeneration of liver cells). The expression of Nrf2 in liver was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The mRNA and protein levels of Nrf2 and related factors in liver were determined by Realtime PCR and Western blot, respectively., Results: After 4 weeks of high fat diet, the levels of ALT, AST, TC in rat serum and TC, TG, LDL-C in liver were significantly increased compared with that of the normal group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). After 4 weeks of high fat diet, the levels of ALT, AST, TC, TG in serum and TC, TG, LDL- C in liver increased further (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Until the 12th week, the content of HDL-C in liver was significantly lower than that of the normal group (P < 0.05). At the end of the 4th or the 12th week, lipid droplets in the model rat liver cells were heavily dyed red and hepatic steatosis increased severely, with ballooning degeneration of liver cells. With the extension of high fat diet feeding time, fat deposition in the liver tissue, hepatic steatosis, NAFLD score, Nrl2 expression were significantly increased (P < 0.01). Expression levels of mRNA and protein of Nrf2, heme oxyenase 1(HO1), NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1), γ-glutamylcysteine synthethase (γ-GCS), glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the model rats increased or decreased at the end of the 4th or the 12th week differentially, (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) with the more significant changes at the end of the 4th week than the 12th week., Conclusion: Nrf2 and its related factors may be involved in the occurrence and development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which may play an important role in the process of NASH formation.

Objective: To observe the effect of pure total flavonoids from Citrus (PTFC) on the hepatic fatty degeneration, inflammation, oxidative stress and SIRT1/PGC-1alpha expressions in mice with non-alcohol steatohepatitis (NASH), and discuss the action mechanism of PTFC on NASH., Method: Mice were given high-fat diet for 16 weeks to induce the NASH model. Since the seventh week after the model establishment, the mice were intervened with 100, 50 and 25 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) PTFC for 10 weeks. The pathologic changes in hepatic tissues were observed with HE staining. The contents of TG, CHOL in hepatic tissue, as well as the levels of AST, ALT in serum were detected by using the biochemical process. The expression of SIRT1, PGC-1alpha and MnSOD mRNA in hepatic tissues were detected with Real-time PCR assay. SIRT1, PGC-1alpha protein and 8-OHdG expressions were determined with the immunohistochemical method. The SOD level in hepatic tissues was tested by the xanthine oxidase method. The MDA content in hepatic tissues was examined by the thiobarbituric acid method., Result: The contents of TG, CHOL, NAFLD activity scores and ALT level in serum in hepatic tissues of mice in the model induced by fat-rich diet were obviously higher than that of the normal group (P < 0.010. The SIRT1, PGC-1alpha, MnSOD mRNA and protein expression in hepatic tissues were significantly lower than that of the normal group (P < 0.01). The expression of 8-OHdG and the content of MDA in hepatic tissues were obviously higher than that of the normal group (P < 0.01). After the intervention with different doses of PTFC, the NAFLD activity scores, the content of TG and the level of AST in serum were notably lower than that of the normal group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05); whereas the SIRT1, PGC-1alpha, MnSOD mRNA and protein expression were obviously higher than that of the normal group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), with the significant decrease in the expression of 8-OHdG and the content of MDA (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Oxidative stress/lipid peroxidation enhancement in in NASH mice induced by high-fat diet may be related to the changes in SIRT1/PGC-1alpha signal transduction pathway. PTFC could enhance the anti-oxidant capacity in liver, relieve the damage of reactive oxygen during the fatty acid metabolic process, and prevent NASH from the occurrence and development by regulating the SIRT1/PGC-1alpha signal pathway.

Objective: To observe the influences of FVP1 on both curative and negative effects of CTX., Method: The present study included two parts of experiments. In the part 1, 0.2 mL of 1 x 10(7) mL(-1) of S180 cells were inoculated in the subcutaneous layer of the right armpit of mice. All the mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, in which mice were given with normal saline in 10 consecutive days, CTX group, in which mice were injected with 30 mg of CTX in the first and third days and saline in the other 8 days during the 10 consecutive days of treatment, and FVP1 and CTX group, in which the mice were injected with 30 mg x kg(-1) of CTX in the first and third days and FVP1 at 10 mg x kg(-1) in all 10 consecutive days of treatment. After above 10-day treatment , all the mice were killed and the tumor body was taken out and weighed to calculate the inhibiting rates on tumor. In the part 2 of experiments all the mice were divided into 3 groups: Normal control group, in which mice were not treated with any drugs, CTX-induced model group of inhibiting immune system, in which mice were injected with CTX at dose of 10 mg x kg(-1) in first two days and saline in the following 7 days; and small-, meddle-and large-dosage of FVP1 groups, in which mice were injected with CTX at the same dose as above in first two days and FVP1 intraperitoneally at 5, 10 and 20 mg x kg(-1) respectively in the following 7 days. CTX group was regarded as the control model. After the treatment, the peripheral white cells, thymus index, spleen index, the phagocytic power of macrophage of abdominal cavity, lymphocyte trastation rate and the activity of NK cell were detected., Result: (DFVP1 plus small dose of CTX obviously enhanced the inhibiting rate of CTX on tumor in the mice inoculated with S180 cells. (2) FVP1 at the different dose obviously antagozized CTX-induced leucopenia, atrophy, reduction of the phagocytic power of macrophage in abdominal cavity and restored the function of lymphocyte translation and the activity of NK cells., Conclusion: FPV1 could enhance the curative effect of CTX in depressing tumor and attenuate the negative effect of CTX in inhibiting the function of immune system.