Our previous study indicated that herbal SGR formula partially attenuates
ethanol-induced
fatty liver, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, mice were pretreated with SGR (100 and 200 mg/kg/d bw) for 30 d before being exposed to
ethanol (4.8 g/kg bw). The biochemical indices and histopathological changes were examined to evaluate the protective effects and to explore potential mechanisms by investigating the
adiponectin,
tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),
peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-α (
PPAR-α),
sterol regulatory
element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c),
adenosine monophosphate-activated
protein kinase (AMPK), and so forth. Results showed that SGR pretreatment markedly inhibited acute
ethanol-induced
liver steatosis, significantly reduced serum and hepatic
triglyceride (TG) level, and improved classic histopathological changes. SGR suppressed the
protein expression of hepatic
SREBP-1c and TNF-α and increased
adiponectin,
PPAR-α, and AMPK phosphorylation in the liver. Meanwhile, acute toxicity tests showed that no death or toxic side effects within 14 days were observed upon
oral administration of the extracts at a dose of 16 g/kg body wt. These results demonstrate that SGR could protect against acute alcohol-induced
liver steatosis without any toxic side effects. Therefore, our studies provide novel molecular insights into the hepatoprotective effect of SGR formula, which may be exploited as a therapeutic agent for
ethanol-induced hepatosteatosis.