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[Effects of Chinese herbal medicine Jiangzhi Granule on expressions of liver X receptor α and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c in a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease].

OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of Jiangzhi Granule (JZG), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in regulating liver X receptor α (LXRα) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) expressions in a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).


METHODS
Forty specific pathogen-free Wistar male rats were randomly divided into normal group, untreated group, pioglitazone (PIO) group and JZG group. All rats were fed with high-fat diet (88% normal chow plus 10% lard plus 2% cholesterol) for 4 weeks except for the normal group. After the NAFLD model was established, PIO and JZG were fed to rats in the corresponding groups respectively for another 4 weeks. At the end of the 8th week, liver steatosis level was observed under a light microscope with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining; serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities and triacylglycerol (TAG) and free fatty acid (FFA) contents in liver tissues were measured. LXRα and SREBP-1c expressions in liver tissues were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot methods.


RESULTS
Compared with the normal group, there were physiological changes for hepatic steatosis in liver tissues in the untreated group as observed by HE staining. JZG improved serum ALT and AST levels which were significantly increased in the untreated group. Both JZG and PIO improved FFA and TAG levels in liver tissues which were significantly increased in the untreated group. mRNA and protein levels of LXRα and SREBP-1c in the untreated group were higher than those in the normal group, while the treatment of JZG and PIO lowered their expressions.


CONCLUSION
JZG may regulate fatty acid metabolic disorder by decreasing the levels of LXRα and SREBP-1c.