Obesity and associated conditions, such as
type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (
NAFLD), are currently a worldwide health problem. In Asian
traditional medicine,
Bai-Hu-Jia-
Ren-Shen-Tang (BHJRST) is widely used in diabetes patients to reduce thirst. However, whether it has a
therapeutic effect on T2DM or
NAFLD is not known. The aim of this study was to examine whether BHJRST had a
lipid-lowering effect using a HuS-E/2 cell model of
fatty liver induced by
palmitate and in a db/db mouse model of
dyslipidemia. Incubation of HuS-E/2 cells with
palmitate markedly increased
lipid accumulation and expression of adipose
triglyceride lipase (ATGL), which is involved in lipolysis. BHJRST significantly decreased
lipid accumulation and increased ATGL levels and phosphorylation of
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its primary downstream target,
acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), which are involved in
fatty acid oxidation. Furthermore, after twice daily
oral administration for six weeks, BHJRST significantly reduced hepatic fat accumulation in db/db mice, as demonstrated by increased hepatic AMPK and ACC phosphorylation, reduced serum
triglyceride levels, and reduced hepatic total
lipid content. The results show that BHJRST has a
lipid-lowering effect in the liver that is mediated by activation of the AMPK signaling pathway.