Mechanism of Dangfei Liganning Capsule attenuating nonalcoholic steatotic hepatitis induced by high-fat diet combined with carbon tetrachloride in rats

Objective To study the therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of Dangfei Liganning Capsules on nonalcoholic steatotic hepatitis (NASH) induced by high-fat diet and carbon tetrachloride in rats.Methods Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group and treatment group.The rats of normal group were fed with a standard diet, while the rats of model and treatment groups were fed with high-fat diet.In addition the rats of treatment group were gastrically perfused with Dangfei Liganning Capsules everyday.Rats from model and treatment groups were intraperitoneally injected with CCl4 48 h before being sacrificed.The pathology of liver and ALT, AST, LDH, TBIL, TC, TG, HDL, LDL, FFA in serum were tested.The fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting insulin (FIN) were tested to calculate HOMA index.Serum adiponectin and hepatic levels of TNF α were assessed.Results Compared with normal group, model group showed massive steatosis with Oil Red-O stain in liver lobules with hepatocyte ballooning and inflammatory infiltration with H-E stain appeared in centrilobules, which were all improved in the treatment group.Levels of serum ALT, AST, LDH, TG, LDL and FFA increased dramatically in model rats, HOMA index and TNF α content in liver tissue also elevated.Serum adiponectin decreased dramatically (P<0.05) .The above examined indexes in treatment group were improved obviously (P<0.05) .Conclusion Dangfei Liganning Capsules could alleviate high fat-diet combined with toxin induced NASH in rats, and the regulation of adiponectin and TNF α level, as well as attenuating insulin resistance contribute to the underlying mechanism.