[A study on the preventive effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on the development of alcoholic fatty liver in rats and its possible mechanisms].
OBJECTIVE
To study the preventive effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on the development of alcoholic fatty liver (AFL) in rats and its possible mechanisms.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-five Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: a blank control group, with distilled water intragastric infusion (GI); an alcohol group, with alcohol GI; a 5% LBP plus alcohol GI group; and a 10% LBP plus alcohol GI group. Liver pathologic changes were studied together with the activity of serum ALT, AST, GGT, the activity of liver SOD, GSH-PX and the content of liver MDA, GSH, H2O2; CYP2E1 gene and protein expressions were also detected.


RESULTS
At the end of ten weeks, the activity of serum AST [(132.3+/-25.7) U/L, (127.5+/-29.1)U/L] and GGT [(1.9+/-0.5)U/L, (1.8+/-0.7)U/L] of the two LBP groups were all significantly lower than those of the alcohol group [serum AST (245.7+/-32.1) and GGT (4.4+/-0.6)]. At the end of ten weeks, the content of liver MDA [(5.1+/-0.3) nmol/mg, (5.1+/-0.4) nmol/mg] and H2O2 [(135.4+/-23.5) mmol/g, (132.6+/-31.8) mmol/g] of the two LBP groups were significantly lower than those of the alcohol group [MDA (14.5+/-3.2) nmol/mgprot) and H2O2 (328.5+/-45.6)]. The activity of SOD [(206.7+/-13.2)U/L, (203.2+/-18.8)U/L], GSH-PX [(13.5+/-1.4)U/mg/min, (13.6+/-1.5)U/mg/min] and the content of GSH [(65.1+/-11.0)mg/g, (66.6+/-11.1) mg/g] of the two LBP groups were all significantly higher than those of the alcohol group [SOD (116.5+/-13.6)U/mg/min, GSH-PX (7.2+/-1.6)U/mg/min and the content of GSH (30.5+/-10.7)mg/g] (P less than 0.01). At the end of five weeks, levels of CYP2E1 gene and protein expression of the two LBP groups were 0.39+/-0.04, 0.40+/-0.06 and 3.49+/-0.36, 3.29+/-0.30 respectively. At the end of ten weeks, levels of CYP2E1 gene and protein expression of the two LBP groups were 0.41+/-0.05, 0.42+/-0.08 and 3.58+/-0.30, 3.36+/-0.37 respectively. They were all significantly lower than those of the alcohol group [the gene expression (5 week: 0.74+/-0.05, 10 week: 1.02+/-0.08) and the protein expression (5 week: 5.63+/-0.44, 10 week: 7.90+/-0.26)]. There were no typical alcoholic fatty liver pathologic changes observed in the two LBP groups.


CONCLUSIONS
LBP can effectively prevent AFL. This may be due to its effects in inhibiting the hepatocyte CYP2E1 expression and prevention of lipid peroxidation.
Gu
Sai
S
Department of Gastroenterology, First Affilated Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing 400016, China. saigu@20042004@yahoo.com
Wang
Pei-long
PL
Jiang
Rong
R
D000818:Animals; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C500223:lycium barbarum polysaccharide; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1