The effects of pioglitazone on the Kupffer cells of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rats / 中国医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the preventive effect and mechanism of pioglitazone on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in rats.Methods Thirty six male Sprague-Dawley ( SD) rats were randomly divided into normal control group , high-fat diet group , and pioglitazone intervention group , with 12 rats in each group .Normal control group fed with standard diet for eight weeks , and the rest two groups fed with high fat diet .Pioglitazone intervention group fed with pioglitazone in the four to eight weeks , the rest two groups in the same period fed with distilled water .Fasting serum alanine aminotransferase , aspartate aminotransferase , total cholesterol , triglyc-erides, fasting glucose , and fasting blood insulin levels were determined .The fasting insulin resistance index was calculated .Routine histological features of hepatic section were observed by hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining.The shape change of Kupffer cells in the liv-er was detected .The levels of tumor necrosis factor ( TNF)-αand nitric oxide ( NO) secreted by Kupffer cells were measured .Results The fasting insulin resistance index , triglycerides , and total cholesterol in rats of high-fat diet group were significantly higher than in normal control group ( P <0.05 ) .Histopathological examination showed hepatocellular macrove sicular steatosis , lobular inflammatory cell infiltration, and inflammatory cell infiltration .Hepatic Kupffer cell morphology change , its produced TNF, NO and liver tissue pa-thology changes were positively correlated ( P <0.05 ) .The fasting insulin resistance index , triglycerides , total cholesterol was signifi-cantly lower in rats of pioglitazone intervention group than the high-fat diet group ( P <0.05 ) .The liver tissue structure was obviously improved pioglitazone intervention group rats , morphology and function of liver Kupffer cells were normal .Conclusions Pioglitazone can prevent the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease induced by high fat diet .The mechanism may be related to improve insulin resistance , reduce blood fat , and regulate function of Kupffer cells .