Alleviation of hepatic oxidative stress by Chinese herbal medicine Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang in obese mice with steatosis.

Obesity is associated with a complex systemic inflammatory state that has been implicated in the development of hepatic steatosis. This study was to test the efficacy of Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang (YCHT), an agent that improves hepatic triglyceride metabolism in its ability to modulate pathways implicated in hepatic steatosis. Mice were fed with high-fat diet for fifteen weeks. The therapeutic mechanism of YCHT likely enhanced adiponectin and endothelial progenitor cells, and up-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma might be responsible for fatty liver diseases. In addition, YCHT anti-oxidative stress effect might be associated with inhibition of hepatic free fatty acid concentrations and elevation of the glutathione levels in hepatic tissues. Furthermore, YCHT action mechanisms might promote senescence marker protein-30 metabolism that increase resistance to hepatic oxidative stress. These findings suggest a novel therapeutic approach for fatty liver progression in obesity mice.