title: Lycium barbarum polysaccharides therapeutically improve hepatic functions in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis rats and cellular steatosis model.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate the possible therapeutic effects and active components of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on a high fat diet-induced NASH rat model. We induced NASH in a rat model by voluntary oral feeding with a high-fat diet ad libitum for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, 1 mg/kg LBP was orally administered for another 4 weeks with a high-fat diet. When compared with NASH rats treated for 12 weeks, therapeutic LBP treatment for 4 weeks during 12 weeks of NASH induction showed ameliorative effects on: (1) increased body and wet liver weights; (2) insulin resistance and glucose metabolic dysfunction; (3) elevated level of serum aminotransferases; (4) fat accumulation in the liver and increased serum free fatty acid (FFA) level; (5) hepatic fibrosis; (6) hepatic oxidative stress; (7) hepatic inflammatory response; and (8) hepatic apoptosis. These improvements were partially through the modulation of transcription factor NF-κB, MAPK pathways and the autophagic process. In a palmitate acid-induced rat hepatocyte steatosis cell-based model, we also demonstrated that l-arabinose and β-carotene partially accounted for the beneficial effects of LBP on the hepatocytes. In conclusion, LBP possesses a variety of hepato-protective properties which make it a potent supplementary therapeutic agent against NASH in future clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Tissue Transplantation and Immunology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China [2] Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Tissue Transplantation and Immunology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Feiyue
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunobiology, Institute of Tissue Transplantation and Immunology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Physiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China [2] Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Man Lung
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Emily C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Liong
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yick Pang
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Ching
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China [2] Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Aimin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China [2] Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Raymond Chuen Chung
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China [2] Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China [3] GMH Institute of Central Nervous System Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Kwok Fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: So
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China [2] Research Centre of Heart, Brain, Hormone and Healthy Aging, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: George L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Tipoe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001089:Arabinose / Q000494:pharmacology; D001343:Autophagy; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C500223:lycium barbarum polysaccharide; D019207:beta Carotene; D001089:Arabinose