Herbal SGR Formula Prevents Acute Ethanol-Induced Liver Steatosis via Inhibition of Lipogenesis and Enhancement Fatty Acid Oxidation in Mice

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.