Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 14, 2024; 30(30): 3584-3608
Published online Aug 14, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i30.3584
Fanlian Huazhuo Formula alleviates high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by modulating autophagy and lipid synthesis signaling pathway
Meng-Yuan Niu, Geng-Ting Dong, Yi Li, Qing Luo, Liu Cao, Xi-Min Wang, Qi-Wen Wang, Yi-Ting Wang, Zhe Zhang, Xi-Wen Zhong, Wei-Bo Dai, Le-Yu Li
Meng-Yuan Niu, Geng-Ting Dong, Yi Li, Qing Luo, Liu Cao, Xi-Min Wang, Qi-Wen Wang, Yi-Ting Wang, Zhe Zhang, Xi-Wen Zhong, Wei-Bo Dai, Pharmacology Laboratory, Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan 528400, Guangdong Province, China
Le-Yu Li, Department of Endocrinology, Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhongshan 528400, Guangdong Province, China
Co-first authors: Meng-Yuan Niu and Geng-Ting Dong.
Co-corresponding authors: Wei-Bo Dai and Le-Yu Li.
Author contributions: Niu MY and Dong GT designed the experiments, analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript; Niu MY and Li Y conducted the experimental research; Luo Q, Cao L, Wang XM, Wang QW, Wang YT, Zhang Z, and Zhong XW provided the research software and experimental methods; Dai WB and Li LY contributed to the experimental design and financial support. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of work ensuring integrity and accuracy and approved the final manuscript. Niu MY and Dong GT contributed equally to this work as co-first authors. Corresponding authors Li LY and Dai WB, with their professional knowledge from different research fields, ensured the scientific authenticity of this study. They contributed to the development of the study plan and offered comprehensive support in securing study funding and acquiring resources. Li LY and Dai WB contributed equally to this work as co-corresponding authors.
Supported by Basic and Applied Basic Research Found of Guangdong Province, No. 2022A1515011307.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All procedures involving animals were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Animal Ethics and Welfare Committee of Zhongshan Hospital of traditional Chinese Medicine (Protocol No. 2022042).
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Le-Yu Li, MS, Chief Physician, Department of Endocrinology, Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 3 Kangxin Road, West District, Zhongshan 528400, Guangdong Province, China. lileyu@zsszyy.net
Received: April 18, 2024
Revised: July 15, 2024
Accepted: July 22, 2024
Published online: August 14, 2024
Processing time: 113 Days and 1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Fanlian Huazhuo Formula (FLHZF) has the functions of invigorating spleen and resolving phlegm, clearing heat and purging turbidity. It has been identified to have therapeutic effects on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in clinical application. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is frequently diagnosed in patients with T2DM. However, the therapeutic potential of FLHZF on NAFLD and the underlying mechanisms need further investigation.

AIM

To elucidate the effects of FLHZF on NAFLD and explore the underlying hepatoprotective mechanisms in vivo and in vitro.

METHODS

HepG2 cells were treated with free fatty acid for 24 hours to induce lipid accumulation cell model. Subsequently, experiments were conducted with the different concentrations of freeze-dried powder of FLHZF for 24 hours. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet for 8-week to establish a mouse model of NAFLD, and then treated with the different concentrations of FLHZF for 10 weeks.

RESULTS

FLHZF had therapeutic potential against lipid accumulation and abnormal changes in biochemical indicators in vivo and in vitro. Further experiments verified that FLHZF alleviated abnormal lipid metabolism might by reducing oxidative stress, regulating the AMPKα/SREBP-1C signaling pathway, activating autophagy, and inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

FLHZF alleviates abnormal lipid metabolism in NAFLD models by regulating reactive oxygen species, autophagy, apoptosis, and lipid synthesis signaling pathways, indicating its potential for clinical application in NAFLD.

Keywords: Fanlian Huazhuo Formula; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Autophagy; Apoptosis; AMPKα/SREBP-1C signal pathway; Oxidative stress

Core Tip: Fanlian Huazhuo Formula (FLHZF) has traditionally been used for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. It has shown significant potential in treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) based on experimental research conducted in vivo and in vitro. Studies suggest that FLHZF may improve NAFLD by reducing oxidative stress, activating cellular autophagy, and regulating lipid metabolism signaling pathways. These findings provide new insights into the mechanism of action of FLHZF, and offer a theoretical basis for its application in the clinical treatment of NAFLD, potentially expanding its scope of use.