title: Protective effect of salvianolic acid B on NASH rat liver through restoring intestinal mucosal barrier function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) on the disease progress of NASH and change of intestinal barrier function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and treated group, with the former given normal diet and the latter 2 groups rats fed high-fat diet. In treated group, rats were infused through the stomach with 1 mg/ml Sal B every day at a dose of 20 mL/kg body weight. All animals were killed at the 24th week and plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), endotoxin (ET) and diamine oxdase (DAO) were analyzed using the blood samples. The histopathology of liver was observed by H&E staining. The expression changes of tight junction protein occludin and ZO-1 were analyzed by immunocytochemistry. Ultrastructural morphology of small intestinal tissues was investigated by transmission electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma levels of ALT, AST, TG, TC, ET and DAO were significantly higher in model group than those in both control group and group treated with Sal B. In model group, vacuolated swelling of the cytoplasm with aggregates of chronic inflammatory cells was observed in the liver tissue but not in Sal B-treated group. NAFLD Activity Score in the treated group was significantly lower than that in model group. Immunohistochemical staining showed that Sal B administration recovered the expression of occludin and ZO-1, which was downregulated in the model group. Transmission electron microscopy analysis demonstrated that cell surface microvilli and major intercellular junctional complex including tight junction, gap junction and adherens junction were restored in Sal B-treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sal B exerted protective function against high-fat diet-induced liver damage by restoring healthy barrier function of intestine in NASH rat model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University Dalian 116001, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University Dalian 116001, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Mei
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University Dalian 116001, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Zong
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University Dalian 116001, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019610:Cytoprotection; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D062793:Occludin / Q000378:metabolism; D010539:Permeability; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013997:Time Factors; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053630:Depsides
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D015415:Biomarkers; D062793:Occludin; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; C568987:Ocln protein, rat; C569044:Tjp1 protein, rat; C076944:salvianolic acid B; D053630:Depsides
keywords: Salvianolic acid B; intestinal mucosal barrier; non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; tight junction