Protective effects of Gymnaster koraiensis extract on ethanol-induced fatty liver in rats

Use of chronic alcohol produces alcoholic liver disease, with relationship of the beginning of abnormal lipid metabolism. Recent studies show that abnormal cholesterol metabolism has a specific role in the pathological cause of alcoholic fatty liver disease. Gymnaster koraiensis (GK), a worthy perennial Korean wild plant has specific polyacetylene compounds. Many researches have presented that GK has many pharmacological properties, such as oxidation prevention, liver protection, and inflammation prevention. However, the conservative effect of GK on alcoholic fatty liver has not been researched so far. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly separated to normal feeding (fed a normal feeding for 4 weeks) and ethanol feeding (ED) groups. Rats in the ED group were administered a Lieber-DeCarli liquid feeding (containing 6.7% ethanol) and administered GK extract (125, 250, or 500 mg/kg/day), silymarin (200 mg/kg/day), or no treatment for 4 weeks. Each treatment group contained six rats. The administration with GK decreased serum levels of triglycerides, alcohol, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase, while increased serum level of adiponectin and activity of alcohol dehydrogenase. In alcohol-triggered fatty liver, GK decreased total cholesterol and fatty acid synthase, while increased catalase and superoxide dismutase. Alterations in liver histology, as assessed by H&E staining, showed that the GK treatment decreased amass of lipids in liver. These results present that GK extract may be potential therapeutic agent for alcoholic fatty liver disease by preventing fatty acid synthesis and activating anti-oxidation enzymes, while in activating alcohol degradation in ethanol-triggered fatty liver.