Chaihu Shugan powder, a traditional Chinese medicine, reduces fat accumulation and inflammation in the liver, potentially through activation of autophagy and ferroptosis pathways.
For the study, a mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis was induced using a methionine-choline deficient diet. Once the disease state was established, Chaihu Shugan powder was administered to the mice. The researchers then monitored the levels of various liver and serum indicators to assess the effects of the treatment.
Following treatment, lipid accumulation and inflammation in the liver were both significantly diminished across the subjects. Analysis of gene expressions revealed changes in relation to over a thousand genes, most notably those involved in the bio-chemical processes of autophagy and ferroptosis. When checking the levels of proteins associated with these functions within the liver, it was observed that levels returned to normal when the mice were treated with Chaihu Shugan powder. Further investigation revealed that the suppression of autophagy appeared to restrict the occurrence of ferroptosis in the liver, suggesting that the activation of autophagy may play a significant role in mediating ferroptosis in cases of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
