Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, 18071 University of Granada, Spain.
Free Radic Biol Med. 2009 Oct 1;47(7):924-31. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2009.06.015. Epub 2009 Jun 17.
The pathophysiology of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is still not fully understood, and available treatments are not entirely satisfactory. Steatosis progression to NASH is associated with deleterious action of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammatory cytokines. We investigated the use of curcumin (compared to vitamin E) in the treatment of NASH. Experimental NASH was induced in rabbits by the intake of a high-fat diet. Oxidative stress status, histology, lipid metabolism, and TNF-alpha protein levels were assessed in liver. The high-fat diet induced pathologically assessed NASH, and compared to healthy controls, raised the levels of aminotransferases, reduced mitochondrial antioxidants, increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, and led to poor mitochondrial function as well as to higher TNF-alpha protein levels. Curcumin administration together with the high-fat diet led to rabbits with a lower NASH grade and lower levels of aminotransferases, higher values for mitochondrial antioxidants, lower mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, an improved mitochondrial function, and lower levels of TNF-alpha protein levels. Vitamin E treatment was unable to reduce NASH. In conclusion, curcumin might be useful in the management of NASH through a mechanism involving the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and mitochondrial-protective potential of curcumin.
非酒精性脂肪性肝炎（NASH）的病理生理学尚未完全阐明，现有的治疗方法并不完全令人满意。脂肪变性进展为 NASH 与活性氧、线粒体功能障碍和炎症细胞因子的有害作用有关。我们研究了姜黄素（与维生素 E 相比）在 NASH 治疗中的应用。通过摄入高脂肪饮食在兔子中诱导实验性 NASH。评估了肝脏中的氧化应激状态、组织学、脂质代谢和 TNF-α 蛋白水平。高脂肪饮食诱导病理评估的 NASH，与健康对照组相比，升高了转氨酶水平，降低了线粒体抗氧化剂，增加了线粒体活性氧，并导致线粒体功能不良以及 TNF-α 蛋白水平升高。姜黄素与高脂肪饮食联合给药导致 NASH 分级较低，转氨酶水平较低，线粒体抗氧化剂水平较高，线粒体活性氧水平较低，线粒体功能改善，TNF-α 蛋白水平降低。维生素 E 治疗不能降低 NASH。总之，姜黄素可能通过其抗氧化、抗炎和线粒体保护作用，对 NASH 的管理有用。
