Capparis spinosa improves the high fat diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in rats: the possible role of FGF21

OBJECTIVES: This study focused on the beneficial effects of Capparis spinosa (CS) treatment on the steatohepatitis induced by the administration of a high-fat emulsion in rats. Changes of hepatic expression and secretion of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) were also evaluated as a probable mechanism of the CS effects on fatty liver. Male Wistar rats were allocated in different groups to receive a normal diet (NC group), a high-fat diet (HF group), or the high-fat emulsion plus CS extract at a dose of 20 mg/kg (HF+CS group). Body and liver weight, liver index, serum biochemical factors, histopathological examination, and serum level and hepatic gene expression of FGF21 were determined. RESULTS: CS administration markedly reduced liver weight and index, serum levels of glucose, lipids, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and improved histological features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which were induced by HF feeding in this model. CS supplementation also restored the decreased hepatic and serum FGF21 levels in the fatty liver rats. We propose that the FGF21 up-regulation may partly account for the favorable effects of CS in this steatohepatitis model.