Therapeutic effect of osthole on hyperlipidemic fatty liver in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of osthole on hyperlipidemic fatty liver and investigate the possible mechanisms.


METHODS
A rat model with hyperlipidemic fatty liver was successfully established by feeding fatty milk for 6 weeks. The experimental rats were then treated with 5-20 mg/kg osthole for 6 weeks. The mouse hyperlipidemic model was induced by feeding fatty milk when they were treated with 10-20 mg/kg osthole for 3 weeks.


RESULTS
After treatment with osthole, the levels of rat serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol significantly decreased as compared with the fatty liver model group (P< 0.05 or P< 0.01). Hepatic weight and its coefficient, the hepatic tissue contents of TC, TG, and malondialdehyde, also significantly decreased (P< 0.05 or P< 0.01). In fatty milk-induced hyperlipidemic mice, the post-heparin plasma activities of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic lipase (HL), and total lipase (TL) significantly increased after treatment with 10-20 mg/kg osthole for 3 weeks (P< 0.05 or P< 0.01). Importantly, the histological evaluation of rat liver demonstrated that osthole dramatically decreased lipid accumulation (P< 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Osthole was found to have therapeutic effects on fatty milk-induced rat fatty liver; the mechanisms might be associated with its anti-oxidation and the elevation of the activities of LPL and HL.
Zhang
Yan
Y
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
Xie
Mei-Lin
ML
Zhu
Lu-Jia
LJ
Gu
Zhen-Lun
ZL
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D031048:Cnidium / Q000737:chemistry; D003374:Coumarins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011345:Fenofibrate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000975:Antioxidants; D003374:Coumarins; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008055:Lipids; D008049:Lipase; D011345:Fenofibrate; C046627:osthol