title: Inhibition of hepatic interleukin-18 production by rosiglitazone in a rat model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of rosiglitazone (RGZ) on expression of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and caspase-1 in liver of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control, NAFLD, and RGZ treated NAFLD groups. A NAFLD rat model of NAFLD was established by feeding the animals with a high-fat diet for 12 wk. The NAFLD animals were treated with RGZ or vehicle for the last 4 wk (week 9-12) and then sacrificed to obtain liver tissues. Histological changes were analyzed with HE, oil red O and Masson's trichrome staining. Expressions of IL-18 and caspase-1 were detected using immunohistochemical staining and semi-quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression levels of both IL-18 and caspase-1 were higher in the liver of NAFLD group than in the control group. Steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis, found in the liver of NAFLD rats, were significantly improved 4 wk after RGZ treatment. The elevated hepatic IL-18 and caspase-1 expressions in NAFLD group were also significantly attenuated after RGZ treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RGZ treatment can ameliorate increased hepatic IL-18 production and histological changes in liver of NAFLD rats. The beneficial effects of RGZ on NAFLD may be partly due to its inhibitory effect on hepatic IL-18 production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Peking University, Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Ning
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan-Rong
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guo-Qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Pei-Xian
authors.initials: PX
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiao-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Tian-Pei
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D020382:Interleukin-18; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D020170:Caspase 1