Abstract:
Objective To investigate the effect of Huatan Qushi Huoxue prescription on the key proteins of the ADPN/PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway in a rat model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis( NASH). Methods After one week of adaptive feeding,72 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,polyene phosphatidylcholine group,and high-,middle-,and low-dose Huatan Qushi Huoxue prescription groups,with 12 rats in each group. The rats in the blank group were given normal diet,and those in the other groups were given high-fat diet to establish a model of NASH. All rats except those in the blank group were given corresponding drug by gavage. The rats in the model group were given normal saline( 1 ml·100 g-1·d-1) by gavage,those in the polyene phosphatidylcholine group were given the suspension of polyene phosphatidylcholine capsules( 0. 028 5 g·100 g-1·d-1) by gavage,and those in the high-,middle-,and low-dose Huatan Qushi Huoxue prescription groups were given Huatan Qushi Huoxue prescription at a dose of 5. 04 g·100 g-1·d-1,2. 52 g·100 g-1·d-1,and 1. 26 g·100 g-1·d-1,respectively. Samples were collected 10 weeks later; chemiluminescence was used to measure the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase( ALT),aspartate aminotransferase( AST),gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase( GGT),alkaline phosphatase( ALP),triglyceride( TG),and total cholesterol( TC),and Western blot was used to measure the protein expression of adiponectin( ADPN),adiponectin receptor 2( AdipoR2),phosphoinositide 3-kinase( PI3 K),protein kinase B( Akt),phosphorylated Akt( p-Akt),nuclear factor-kappa B( NF-κB),and phosphorylated NF-κB( p-NF-κB) in liver tissue.A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups,and the least significant difference ttest was used for further comparison between two groups. Results Compared with the blank group,the model group showed fatty change of liver tissue and had significant increases in the serum levels of ALT,AST,ALP,GGT,TG,and TC( all P < 0. 05),as well as significant reductions in the protein expression of ADPN,AdipoR2,PI3 K,Akt,and p-Akt( all P < 0. 05) and significant increases in the protein expression of NF-κB and p-NF-κB( all P < 0. 05). Compared with the model group,each treatment group had significant reductions in the serum levels of ALT,AST,ALP,GGT,TG,and TC( all P < 0. 05),significant increases in the protein expression of ADPN,AdipoR2,and p-Akt( all P < 0. 05),and significant reductions in the protein expression of NF-κB and p-NF-κB( all P < 0. 05). Compared with the polyene phosphatidylcholine group,the high-dose Huatan Qushi Huoxue prescription group had significant reductions in the serum levels of ALT,AST,ALP,GGT,TG,and TC( all P < 0. 05),significant increases in the protein expression of ADPN,AdipoR2,PI3 K,and p-Akt( all P < 0. 05),and significant reductions in the protein expression of NF-κB and p-NF-κB( all P < 0. 05). Conclusion Huatan Qushi Huoxue prescription may exert a therapeutic effect on NASH by regulating the ADPN/PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway,upregulating the protein expression of ADPN,AdipoR2,PI3 K,and p-Akt,and downregulating the protein expression of NF-κB and p-NF-κB.