Huazhi Rougan Granule Alleviates Liver and Intestinal Damage in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Regulating miR-122 Expression and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB Pathway Activation.

Purpose: miR-122 is upregulated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) liver tissue, and knockdown of miR-122 protects hepatocytes from lipid metabolism disorders. This study aimed to investigate whether Huazhi Rougan Granule (HRG) alleviates NAFLD liver and intestinal injury by regulating the miR-122-mediated TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway.

Methods: Rats with NAFLD were constructed by high-fat feeding. Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were measured using a fully automated biochemical instrument. Histopathological changes in the liver and small intestine were observed by HE staining. QRT-PCR detected the expression level of miR-122 in the liver tissues. The protein expression of TLR4, MyD88, NF- κB p65, and p-p65 in liver tissues was detected by western blotting.

Results: HRG slowed down the weight gain of NAFLD rats, decreased (P<0.05) the levels of TC, TG, ALT, AST, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, LPS, and Hpt, improved the pathological status of liver and small intestine tissues, upregulated (P<0.05) the expression of ZO-1 and Occludin, downregulated (P<0.05) the protein expression of TLR4, MyD88, and p-p65, and inhibited (P<0.05) the expression of miR-122.

Conclusion: HRG may alleviate hepatic and intestinal injuries in rats with NAFLD by regulating the miR-122-mediated TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway.