Background and aim: In Mexico there is a high prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver diseases are the fourth leading cause of death. NASH is characterized by hepatocyte ballooning, inflammation, and steatosis. Moringa Oleifera (MO) extracts have been shown to have hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The aim was to evaluate in a NASH model the effect of the aqueous extract of MO the gene and protein expression of molecules involved in steatosis and liver inflammation and on miRNAs involved in the development of NASH.
Material and methods: Male C57BL / 6J mice were fed a high fat diet (HF, 60% lipid, 42gr / L sugar in water) for 16 weeks. The administered dose of the MO extract was 300 and 500mg / Kg / day from week 9 to 16. The serum levels of adipokines were measured, the HOMA-IR was calculated; In the liver miR-21a-5p, miR-103-3p, miR-34a-5p and IL1β, IL-6, TNFα, SREBP1, FASN and DAGT2 were evaluated by qRT-PCR and SREBP1 by Western Blot. The transcriptome was evaluated by microarrays. Inflammation, reactivity to αSMA and fibrosis were analyzed in histological sections. Quantitative variables were analyzed with ANOVA, Tukey for parametric data, Mann-Whitney U for non-parametric data. Approved by the CUCS Ethics, Research and Biosafety Committees: 1937.
Results: Moringa treatment reduced serum insulin, PAI-1, leptin, and resistin levels. In liver: IL1β, IL6, TNFα, SREBP1c, FAS, and DAGT2 mRNAs decreased; SREBP1 protein decreased. Expression of mir-21a, mir-103, and mir-34a were reduced. In the transcriptome, the mRNAs involved in the response to DNA damage and stress of the endoplasmic reticulum, lipid biosynthesis, and extracellular matrix synthesis were underexpressed. In liver histologies, the number of inflammatory nodules and the presence of αSMA and fibrosis decreased.
Conclusions: MO supplementation decreased serum adipokine levels; as well as the mRNAs of proinflammatory cytokines and lipogenic genes in liver. The histological quantification of MEC, collagen, inflammatory nodules and αSMA decreased; miRNAs evaluated were modified. Moringa extract showed anti-inflammatory, antifibrogenic and antilipogenic effect in a NASH model.
Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
