Evidence-based efficacy of Kampo formulas in a model of non alcoholic fatty liver

• Published in: Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) Vol. 233; no. 3; pp. 328 - 337
• Main Authors: Fujimoto, M, Tsuneyama, K, Kainuma, M, Sekiya, N, Goto, H, Takano, Y, Terasawa, K, Selmi, C, Gershwin, M.E, Shimada, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2008
• Subjects: Adipokines - blood; Alcohols; animal disease models; Animals; Biomarkers; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body Weight - drug effects; carbohydrate metabolism; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Disease Models, Animal; disease prevention; Evidence-Based Medicine; fatty liver; Fatty Liver - blood; Fatty Liver - drug therapy; Fatty Liver - pathology; herbs; human health; Hyaluronic Acid - blood; lipid composition; lipid metabolism; Lipids - blood; liver cirrhosis; Liver Cirrhosis - metabolism; Male; medicinal plants; Medicine, Kampo; non alcoholic fatty liver; Organ Size - drug effects; Oriental traditional medicine; Oxidative Stress; Rabbits; steatohepatitis; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 - blood
• ISSN: 1535-3699; 1535-3702; 1535-3699
• DOI: 10.3181/0707-rm-207

Data on the efficacy of herbal compounds are often burdened by the lack of appropriate controls or a limited statistical power. Treatments to prevent the progression of non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to steatohepatitis (NASH) remain unsatisfactory. A total of 56 rabbits were arrayed into 7 groups fed with standard rabbit chow (SRC), SRC with 1% cholesterol, or each of the five experimental treatments (Kampo formulas 1% keishibukuryogan [KBG], 1% orengedokuto [OGT], and 1% shosaikoto [SST]; vitamin E [VE]; or pioglitazone [PG]) in a 1% cholesterol SRC. We analyzed changes after 12 weeks in plasma and liver lipid profiles, glucose metabolism, adipocytokines, oxidative stress, and liver fibrosis. Data demonstrated that all five treatments were associated with significant amelioration of lipid profiles, oxidative stress, and liver fibrosis compared to no supplementation. KBG was superior to VE and PG in the reduction of liver total cholesterol (P < 0.01) and lipid peroxidase levels (P < 0.05), urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (P < 0.05), hepatic alpha-smooth muscle actin positive areas (P < 0.01) and activated stellate cells (P < 0.01). In conclusion, there was a statistically significant benefit of Kampo formulas (KBG in particular) on a dietary model of NAFLD/NASH. Future studies need to be directed at the mechanisms in the treatment of NASH.