Ferulic acid attenuates non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation through inhibition of the ROCK/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Abstract

Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural polyphenol compound existing in many plants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of FA on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) induced by high-cholesterol and high-fat diet (HCHF) and its possible mechanism. Rats were fed HCHF for 12 weeks to establish NASH model. FA improved liver coefficients and had no effect on body weight changes. FA could reduce serum alanine transferase (ALT) and aspartate transferase (AST) activities. FA attenuated the increase of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels caused by NASH, improved the liver pathological damage induced by NASH, and inhibited the progression of liver fibrosis. FA prevented the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and attenuated the decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Meanwhile, FA significantly restored the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In addition, we also found that FA inhibited the activity of ROCK and the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in the liver of NASH rats. Overall, FA has a hepatoprotective anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects in NASH rats, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of ROCK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

• Authors: Ziheng Wei, Yurun Xue, Yucong Xue, Jie Cheng, Guoping Lv, Li Chu, Zhihong Ma, Shengjiang Guan
• Journal: Journal of pharmacological sciences (J Pharmacol Sci) Vol. 147 Issue 1 Pg. 72-80 (Sep 2021) ISSN: 1347-8648 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 34294375 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Coumaric Acids
• NF-kappa B
• ferulic acid
• rho-Associated Kinases

Topics

• Animals
• Coumaric Acids (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Inflammation
• Lipid Metabolism (drug effects, genetics)
• NF-kappa B (genetics, metabolism)
• Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (drug therapy, genetics, metabolism)
• Oxidative Stress (drug effects)
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Signal Transduction (drug effects, genetics)
• rho-Associated Kinases (genetics, metabolism)