二黄祛脂颗粒对小鼠非酒精性脂肪肝病的治疗作用及机制研究
Therapeutic effect and mechanism of Erhuang quzhi granules on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice
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摘要: 二黄祛脂方是袁今奇等老中医在长期临床实践中总结出的“护肝抑毒系列方”之一, 治疗非酒精性脂肪肝病(non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD) 颇有成效, 但其作用机制尚不明确。本研究探讨了二黄祛脂颗粒(Erhuang quzhi granules, EQG) 治疗NAFLD的作用机制。动物福利和实验过程均遵循石河子大学第一附属医院动物伦理委员会的规定。通过蛋氨酸胆碱缺乏饲料(methionine and choline deficient diet, MCDD) 饮食诱导5周建立NAFLD小鼠模型, 治疗组喂养MCDD的同时分别灌胃给予EQG (16.25 g·kg-1·d-1)、阿托伐他汀(atorvastatin, ATO, 7.20 mg·kg-1·d-1)。考察EQG对NAFLD小鼠相关血清生化指标、肝脏病理变化和炎症因子的影响, 并应用实时荧光定量PCR (quantitative real-time PCR, qPCR) 法、免疫组织化学(immunocytochemistry, ICH) 法和Western blot法检测肝组织核因子-κB/Nod样受体蛋白3 (nuclear factor kappa B/Nod-like receptor protein 3, NF-κB/NLRP3) 信号通路相关mRNA和蛋白的水平。结果显示, EQG显著降低小鼠血清中天冬氨酸转氨酶(aspartate aminotransferase, AST)、丙氨酸转氨酶(alanine aminotransferase, ALT) 含量, 提高低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C) 水平。苏木素-伊红染色结果表明EQG减轻小鼠肝脏的脂质沉积。此外, EQG显著降低小鼠肝组织中白介素(interleukin, IL)-1β、IL-6、IL-18、肿瘤坏死因子-α (tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α) 的含量和NF-κB、NLRP3、IL-1β、TNF-α的mRNA水平, 下调F4/80、IκB激酶β (IκB kinase β, IKKβ)、NLRP3、含有CARD且与凋亡相关的斑点样蛋白(apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD, ASC) 的表达, 抑制NF-κB和半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶-1 (cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1, caspase-1) 蛋白的活化。以上研究揭示了EQG治疗NAFLD的作用机制可能与其抑制NF-κB/NLRP3信号通路有关, 这为EQG在临床上的进一步开发与利用提供了理论依据。Abstract: Erhuang quzhi compounds is one of the protecting liver and inhibiting toxin prescriptions series summarized by Jinqi Yuan and other famous doctors of traditional Chinese medicine during the long-term clinical practice. It is very effective for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but its mechanism is not clear. This research investigated mechanism of Erhuang quzhi granules (EQG) in the treatment of NAFLD. All the animal welfare and experimental procedures are in accordance with the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University. Mouse models of NAFLD were established by feeding with methionine and choline deficient diet (MCDD) for five weeks. While feeding MCDD, the treatment groups were given EQG (16.25 g·kg-1·d-1) and atorvastatin (ATO, 7.20 mg·kg-1·d-1) by gavage. The effects of EQG on serum biochemical indices, liver pathological changes, and inflammatory cytokines in mice of NAFLD were investigated. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), immunocytochemistry (ICH) and Western blot assays were used to detect the levels of mRNA and protein associated with nuclear factor kappa B/Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NF-κB/NLRP3) in liver. The results showed that EQG significantly reduced the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and improved the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The result of hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining showed that EQG reduced lipid deposition in livers of mice. Meanwhile, EQG notably decreased the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and mRNA levels of NF-κB, NLRP3, IL-1β, TNF-α, down-regulated the expression of F4/80, IκB kinase β (IKKβ), NLRP3 and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) and inhibited the activation of NF-κB and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (caspase-1). These findings announced that EQG could improve NAFLD via NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway possibly, which provides a theoretical basis for the further development and utilization of EQG in clinic.
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