Hydroethanolic Extract of Defatted Buchholzia coriacea Seeds Alleviates Tamoxifen-Induced Hepatic Triglyceride Accumulation, Inflammation and Oxidative Distress in Rat

Background: Tamoxifen (TMX) has proven to be effective in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. However, long-term use of TMX is associated with hepatic steatosis, oxidative liver injury and hepatocarcinoma. Buchholzia coriacea seeds (BCS) have been widely applied in traditional medicine due to their nutritional and therapeutic potentials. This study investigates the protective effect of hydroethanolic extract of (defatted) B. coriacea seeds (HEBCS) against TMX–induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Methods: Thirty-six (36) male albino rats were divided into six groups (n = 6/group). Group I served as control. Group II received 50 mg/kg/day TMX orally (p.o.) (TMX) for 21 days, group III received TMX plus 125 mg/kg/d HEBCS p.o. (HEBCS 125) for 21 days, group IV received TMX plus 250 mg/kg/d HEBCS p.o. (HEBCS 250) for 21 days and rats in group V and VI received HEBCS 125 and HEBCS 250 respectively for 21 days. Results: Compared with the control, TMX caused a significant increase (p < 0.05) in serum hepatic function biomarkers: alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase by 57%, 60% and 68% respectively. TMX also caused a significant increase in hepatic triglycerides level by 166% when compared with control and a significant decrease in serum HDL-cholesterol level by 37%. Compared with control, hepatic marker of inflammation, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) increased significantly by 220%, coupled with significant increase in expression of interleukin 6 and cyclooxygenase 2. There was also significant increase in levels of Biomarkers of oxidative stress, nitric oxide, malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls in the TMX group by 89%, 175% and 114% respectively when compared with the control. Hepatic antioxidants, reduced glutathione (GSH) level and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) decreased significantly in the TMX group by 35%, 67%, 41%, 59% and 53% respectively when compared with the control. However, HEBCS at 250 mg/kg significantly protected against TMX–induced hepatotoxicity by decreasing hepatic triglyceride content, serum hepatic function biomarkers, hepatic inflammation and oxidative stress with significant improvement in hepatic antioxidant system. Histopathological findings show that HEBCS alleviate TMX–induced hepatocyte ballooning. Conclusions: Current data suggest that HEBCS protected against TMX–induced hepatotoxicity in rats. HEBCS may be useful in managing TMX–induced toxicities in breast cancer patients. It may also be helpful against other forms of liver injury involving steatosis, inflammation, free radicals, and oxidative damage.

Preventive effect of Macaranga barteri Mül Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) aqueous leaf extract on amiodarone induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats

Macaranga barteri is a plant used in traditional medicine to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, its potential against hepatic steatosis has not been scientifically proven yet. This work aimed to investigate the preventive effect of the aqueous extract of Macaranga barteri leaves (AEMb) on hepatic steatosis experimentally induced with amiodarone in rats. 36 rats were divided into 6 groups of 6 rats each. Group 1, the non-intoxicated group and Group 2, used as controls were pretreated with distilled water (10 ml/kg b.w.). Group 3 received silymarin at 100 mg/kg b.w. while Groups 4, 5 and 6 were pretreated with AEMb at doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w. respectively. The weights of the rats were monitored during the experimentation. After 7 days of daily pretreatment with the different substances, rats of groups 2 to 6 were administered intraperitoneally amiodarone (200 mg/kg bw) three times daily for seven other consecutive days. At the end of the experiments, blood samples were collected on fasted and anesthetized rats kept in dried and EDTA tubes in order to assess some hematological and biochemical parameters and also rats livers were removed for gross observation and hepatic triglyceride assessment. The results revealed that AEMb and silymarin inhibited the weight loss induced by amiodarone and even favored weight gain. The reduction of heamatological indices (leukocytes and leukocyte indices, erythrocytes and erythrocyte indices (MCV, MCH and MCHC), hemoglobin, hematocrit and thrombocytes) by amiodarone was impeded in AEMb treated rats. AEMb significantly reduced (p <0.001) lipid profile parameters (plasma triglycerides, cholesterols (LDL, HDL and total)) augmented by amiodarone. Increased hepatic parameters (alkaline phosphatase, bilirubins (total and conjugated), transaminases (AST and ALT)) elicited by amiodarone were restored by AEMb pretreatment while decreased HDL values were normalized as well. Silymarin and AEMb also restored livers appearance and hepatic triglyceride. In conclusion, AEMb have a real preventive potential against amiodarone induced-hepatic steatosis in rats.

Dietary raffinose ameliorates hepatic lipid accumulation induced by cholic acid via modulation of enterohepatic bile acid circulation in rats

Enterohepatic circulation of 12α-hydroxylated (12αOH) bile acid (BA) is enhanced depending on the energy intake in high-fat diet-fed rats. Such BA metabolism can be reproduced using a diet supplemented with cholic acid (CA), which also induces simple steatosis, without inflammation and fibrosis, accompanied by some other symptoms that are frequently observed in the condition of non-alcoholic fatty liver in rats. We investigated whether supplementation of the diet with raffinose (Raf) improves hepatic lipid accumulation induced by the CA-fed condition in rats. After acclimation to the AIN-93-based control diet, male Wistar rats were fed diets supplemented with a combination of Raf (30 g/kg diet) and/or CA (0.5 g/kg diet) for 4 weeks. Dietary Raf normalised hepatic triglyceride levels (two-way ANOVA P<0.001 for CA, P=0.02 for Raf, and P=0.004 for interaction) in the CA-supplemented diet-fed rats. Dietary Raf supplementation reduced hepatic 12αOH BA concentration (two-way ANOVA P<0.001 for CA, P=0.003 for Raf, and P=0.03 for interaction). The concentration of 12αOH BA was reduced in the aortic and portal plasma. Raf supplementation increased acetic acid concentration in the caecal contents (two-way ANOVA P=0.001 as a main effect). Multiple regression analysis revealed that concentrations of aortic 12αOH BA and caecal acetic acid could serve as predictors of hepatic triglyceride concentration (R2=0.55, P<0.001). However, Raf did not decrease the secondary 12αOH BA concentration in the caecal contents as well as the transaminase activity in the CA diet-fed rats. These results imply that dietary Raf normalises hepatic lipid accumulation via suppression of enterohepatic 12αOH BA circulation.

Capparis Spinosa Improves Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis Through Down-Regulating SREBP-1c and a PPARα-Independent Pathway in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats

Background: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has become a global medical problem. Currently, there is no approved pharmacologic treatment for this condition. This study aimed to evaluate the ameliorative effects of Capparis spinosa (CS) on NASH in comparison to fenofibrate.Methods: An animal model of NASH was developed using a high-fat (HF) emulsion. Fatty liver rats were treated with aqueous extract of CS fruit or fenofibrate in parallel to the HF for six weeks. Animals were examined for weight gain, serum biochemistry, insulin sensitivity, hepatic triglyceride (TG) content, histopathological changes as well as gene expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1) in liver.Results: Fasting blood sugar, insulin level, body and liver weight, activities of liver enzymes, hepatic triglyceride (TG) content as well as serum lipids were decreased following six weeks CS and fenofibrate treatments compared to the HF administration alone. Histopathological examinations also showed that liver steatosis, inflammation and hepatic fibrosis were markedly attenuated in response to CS and fenofibrate interventions. At the molecular level, CS treatment down-regulated SREBP1c, ACC and up-regulated CPT1 expression, but did not show a significant effect on PPARα. In contrast, fenofibrate treatment induced the expression of all studied genes in fatty liver rats.Conclusions: These findings indicated the favorable therapeutic effects of CS fruit extract on liver damages associated with NASH. The beneficial effects of CS on lipid accumulation and steatosis were comparable to those of fenofibrate.

Ovariectomy-Induced Hepatic Lipid and Cytochrome P450 Dysmetabolism Precedes Serum Dyslipidemia

Ovarian hormone deficiency leads to increased body weight, visceral adiposity, fatty liver and disorders associated with menopausal metabolic syndrome. To better understand the underlying mechanisms of these disorders in their early phases of development, we investigated the effect of ovariectomy on lipid and glucose metabolism. Compared to sham-operated controls, ovariectomized Wistar female rats markedly increased whole body and visceral adipose tissue weight (p ˂ 0.05) and exhibited insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. Severe hepatic triglyceride accumulation (p ˂ 0.001) after ovariectomy preceded changes in both serum lipids and glucose intolerance, reflecting alterations in some CYP proteins. Increased CYP2E1 (p ˂ 0.05) and decreased CYP4A (p ˂ 0.001) after ovariectomy reduced fatty acid oxidation and induced hepatic steatosis. Decreased triglyceride metabolism and secretion from the liver contributed to hepatic triglyceride accumulation in response to ovariectomy. In addition, interscapular brown adipose tissue of ovariectomized rats exhibited decreased fatty acid oxidation (p ˂ 0.01), lipogenesis (p ˂ 0.05) and lipolysis (p ˂ 0.05) despite an increase in tissue weight. The results provide evidence that impaired hepatic triglycerides and dysregulation of some CYP450 proteins may have been involved in the development of hepatic steatosis. The low metabolic activity of brown adipose tissue may have contributed to visceral adiposity as well as triglyceride accumulation during the postmenopausal period.