title: Effect of curcumin on visfatin and zinc-α2-glycoprotein in a rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: To investigate the effect of curcumin on visfatin and zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) expression levels in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
  Fifty-six male rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=16) and model group (n=40) and were fed on a normal diet or a high-fat diet, respectively. Equal volumes of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were intragastrically administered to the control group for 4 weeks. At the end of the 12th week, visfatin and ZAG protein expression levels were examined by immunohistochemistry. Visfatin mRNA levels were measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
  Compared with the control group, the model group showed significantly increased expression of visfatin in liver tissue (P < 0.01) and significantly decreased expression of ZAG (P < 0.01). These effects were ameliorated by curcumin treatment.
  Visfatin and zinc-α2-glycoprotein may be involved in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Treatment of NAFLD in rats by curcumin may be mediated by the decrease of visfatin and the increase of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
authors.affiliation: MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China. Conception and design of the study, manuscript writing, critical revision.
authors.forename: Changping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Graduate student, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China. Acquisition of data, technical procedures, manuscript preparation.
authors.forename: Juehong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China. Conception and design of the study, manuscript writing, critical revision.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China. Conception and design of the study, manuscript writing, critical revision.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China. Conception and design of the study, manuscript writing, critical revision.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003474:Curcumin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000975:Antioxidants; D005227:Fatty Acids; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; D014280:Triglycerides; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein; D002784:Cholesterol; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003474:Curcumin