title: Curcumin prevents the non-alcoholic fatty hepatitis via mitochondria protection and apoptosis reduction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-alcoholic fatty hepatitis (NASH) is highly prevalent, mitochondria damage is the main pathophysiological characteristic of NASH. However, treatment for mitochondria damage is rarely reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  NASH model was established in rats, the protective effects of curcumin were evaluated by histological observation; structure and function assessments of mitochondria; and apoptotic genes expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NASH rats treated with curcumin displayed relatively slight liver damage when compared with NASH livers. The average mitochondrial length and width of NASH (12.0 ± 3.2 and 5.1 ± 1.1 micrometers) were significantly longer than that of normal (6.2 ± 2.1 and 2.1 ± 1.5 micrometers) and NASH treated with curcumin (7.4 ± 1.2 and 3.2 ± 1.5 micrometers) rats. The average malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxy nonyl alcohol (HNE) levels in liver homogenates of NASH rats (4.23 ± 0.22 and 19.23 ± 2.3 nmol/Ml) were significantly higher than these in normal (1.32 ± 0.12 and 3.52 ± 0.43 nmol/mL) and NASH treated with curcumin (1.74 ± 0.11 and 4.66 ± 0.99 nmol/mL) rats. The expression levels of CytC, Casp3 and Casp8 of the NASH livers were significantly higher than normal and NASH treated with curcumin rats livers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrated that curcumin prevents the NASH by mitochondria protection and apoptosis reduction and provided a possible novel treatment for NASH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Yisong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China.
authors.forename: Huixiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Jianhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Curcumin; apoptosis; mitochondria damage; non-alcoholic fatty hepatitis