陆军军医大学学报 (Nov 2022)
Effect of equol intervention on high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in ovariectomized rats
Abstract
Objective To determine the effect of equol (Eq) intervention on high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in ovariectomized rats and investigate its mechanism of action. Methods Sixty 5-week-old female SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: sham group, ovariectomized+high-fat diet (OVX +HFD) group, OVX+HFD+low-, medium-, and high-dose Eq groups [20, 40 and 80 mg/(kg·d) Eq], and OVX+ HFD+estradiol group [E2, 0.25 mg/(kg·d)], with 8 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of intervention, the rats were sacrificed and sampled. The liver index was calculated and the serum levels of blood lipid TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, FFA, liver function in indicators ALT, AST, inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6, estrogen, fasting insulin (FINS), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and liver contents of TG, TC, TNF-α and IL-6 were detected. HE staining was used to observe the morphology of liver tissue. qRT-PCR and Western blotting was employed to detect the mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-6 and the protein levels of NF-κB p-p65 in the liver tissues, respectively. Results Compared with the sham group, the OVX+HFD group had significantly decreased serum estrogen level (P < 0.05) and obvious hepatic steatosis, dyslipidemia, abnormal liver function and increased levels of inflammatory factors. Eq or E2 intervention resulted in notably increased serum estrogen and HDL-C levels, and remarkably reduced serum TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, FFA, ALT, AST, TNF-α and IL-6 levels (P < 0.05), down-regulated expression of NF-κB p-p65, TNF-α and IL-6 in the liver tissues (P < 0.05), and certain improvements in steatosis of liver tissues when compared with the OVX+HFD group. Conclusion Eq intervention can effectively ameliorate high-fat diet-induced NAFLD in ovariectomized rats, and the mechanism may be partially associated with its inhibition on expression of inflammatory factors.
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