Background: The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of Platycodin D (PD), triterpenoid saponins extracted from the
roots of
Platycodon grandiflorum
(PG) on alcohol-induced fatty liver (AFL) and investigate the possible mechanism.
Methods and Materials: A rat model was set up by feeding ethanol and fish oil to experimental rats, which then were treated with
PD of 10, 20, 30 mg/kg body weight/day for 4 weeks, respectively, whereafter, liver function enzymes, endotoxin of serum and liver
lipid were assayed by biochemical methods, cytokines, histochemistry of hepatic tissue, the protein expression of CD14 and TLR4,
the mRNA expression of MD-2, MyD 88 and TRAF-6 were assayed.
Results: Treatment with PD on AFL rats significantly decreased the levels of serum ALT, AST and TBIL, coefficient of liver index
and the hepatic tissue contents of TG, additionally and dramatically decreased serum endotoxin levels, down-regulated MD-2 and
CD14 levels, as well as the mRNA expression of TLR4, MyD88 and TRAF-6, accordingly suppressed NF-κB p65 as well as
endotoxin-mediated inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-6.
Conclusions: Treatment with PD effectively protects against AFL through anti-inflammatory and anti-endotoxic process, and the
confirmed mechanism is that PD treatment ameliorate alcoholic-induced liver injury mainly via TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB path in
AFL rat.
