European journal of pharmacology
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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive form, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are the most common causes of chronic liver disease. In this study, we evaluated the effects of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NASH. Our data showed that EGCG significantly prevented MCD diet-induced liver and body weight loss. ⋯ Western blot data showed that EGCG inhibited Smad2 and Smad3 phosphorylation in the liver and LX-2 cells which were involved in TGF-β-induced pathway. Taken together, EGCG attenuated NASH induced by MCD diet associated with ameliorating fibrosis, oxidative stress, and hepatic inflammation. Our results indicate that EGCG has beneficial roles in the development of MCD diet-induced NASH.