Supplementation with Lycium chinense fruit extract attenuates methionine choline-deficient diet-induced steatohepatitis in mice

Previous studies have reported that Lycium chinense fruit extract (LFE) attenuates carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity. Here, we investigated whether dietary LFE supplementation prevents non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development induced by a methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet. C57BLS/J-m mice were fed a normal chow diet or an MCD diet with or without LFE for 4 weeks by daily oral gavage. MCD-diet-fed mice exhibited significantly lower body weights and a higher degree of steatohepatitis with increased steatosis, oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis, which were partially or totally prevented by dietary supplementation with LFE. The efficacy of LFE was comparable to the effect elicited by treatment with betaine, a main constituent of LFE. Mechanistically, the hepatoprotective effects were associated with reduced JNK and increased ERK activities. This study suggests the therapeutic potential of dietary LFE supplementation for preventing the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with higher risk factors for NASH.