BACKGROUND
Hyperlipidemia is a major cause of atherosclerotic
cardiovascular disease.
Tetrahydropalmatine (THP) can exhibit hepatoprotective,
anti-arrhythmic, and anti-inflammatory activities. The mechanism of THP on the
hyperlipidemia remains unknown; therefore, the present study explored the role of THP in
hyperlipidemia. MATERIAL AND METHODS We established an animal model of
hyperlipidemia by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Blood samples were obtained for determination of serum
cholesterol (TC),
triglyceride (TG),
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (
LDL-c),
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), pro-inflammatory
cytokines, and CYP7A1 expression. Histology was performed and
inflammation was detected in the liver using
hematoxylin-
eosin (HE) staining and
enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The
mRNA and
protein levels of TLR4 and TRAF-6 were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS THP suppressed hepatic
lipid accumulation and reduced serum levels of TC, TG,
LDL-c, and HDL-c in HFD-fed golden hamsters. THP increased
cholesterol 7 a-
hydroxylase (CYP7A1) expression and prevented
inflammation by the limited reduction in
interleukin-6 (IL-6) and
tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expressions in serum and liver. THP slightly increased the ratio of the body/liver weight. THP inhibited the
mRNA and
protein levels of
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and
TNF-receptor associated factor-6 (TRAF-6). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that THP attenuates
hyperlipidemia by multiple effects, including hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, THP also suppressed the expressions of TLR4 and TRAF-6 in golden hamsters.