title: Protective effects of saponins from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum against fatty liver in chronic ethanol feeding via the activation of AMP-dependent protein kinase.
abstract: Fatty liver and steatosis induced by alcohol is the earliest and most common response of the liver to alcohol and may be a precursor of more severe forms of liver injury. However, the mechanism of liver injury and deposition of fatty liver due to alcohol is complex. The protective effects of saponins from the root of Platycodon grandiflorum (Changkil saponins: CKS) against ethanol-induced liver injury in an enteral alcohol feeding model was investigated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given control diets or ethanol-containing diets enterally for 4 weeks. Treatment with CKS for 2 weeks significantly prevented the alcohol-induced increase in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities or decrease in serum albumin levels. Alcohol elevated the hepatic triglyceride content and induced cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression. CKS treatment reduced CYP2E1 expression and hepatic triglyceride accumulation and prevented alcoholic liver steatosis. Chronic alcohol feeding decreased AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKalpha) phosphorylation, which was restored by CKS treatment. Recovery of AMPKalpha phosphorylation by CKS was also followed by an increase in acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphorylation. Our study suggests that CKS is a promising agent for preventing or treating human alcoholic fatty liver disease.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Chosun University, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Tilak
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Khanal
authors.forename: Jae Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yong Pil
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Young Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hye Gwang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Jeong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor) / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D031238:Platycodon / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; C118888:AMP-dependent kinase (ATP-forming); D017856:Phosphotransferases (Phosphate Group Acceptor)