Planta medica
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The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of osthole on the insulin resistance (IR) in high-fat and high-sucrose-induced fatty liver rats and to investigate its potential mechanisms. The rat model was established by orally feeding high-fat and high-sucrose emulsion by gavage for 9 weeks. The experimental rats were treated with osthole 5 and 10 mg/kg, lipanthyl 30 mg/kg, and rosiglitazone 4 mg/kg after oral high-fat and high-sucrose emulsion for 6 weeks and were sacrificed 4 weeks after administration. ⋯ Moreover, the histological evaluation of liver specimens demonstrated that the steatosis and inflammation in liver in osthole-treated groups were improved, especially in the 10 mg/kg group (p < 0.05). Importantly, the levels of FBG, FINS, and HOMA-IR in the osthole 10 mg/kg group were decreased (p < 0.01), while the level of serum adiponectin in the osthole-treated groups, like PPAR α agonist lipanthyl and PPAR γ agonist rosiglitazone, was increased (p < 0.05). These results revealed that osthole could improve the IR induced by high-fat and high-sucrose emulsion in fatty liver rats, and its mechanism might be associated with increment of adiponectin release via activation of PPAR α/ γ pathway.