Protective effects of Kangxian ruangan capsule against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis in rats induced by MCD diet

Kangxian ruangan (KXRG) capsule is a classical formula containing various herbals that play a vital role of replenishing spleen and warming Yang. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that insufficiency of the spleen, damp-heat, and phlegm and stasis are the key factors to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of KXRG capsule on NAFLD fibrosis rats induced by MCD diet. The liver functions (ALT, AST and GGT) and levels of blood lipids (CHOL and TG) in each treatment group rats were significantly decreased, especially those in H-KXRG group. At the same time, the KXRG capsule alleviated the inflammatory response, histopathological changes and liver fibrosis of NAFLD fibrosis rats. In addition, the apoptosis of liver cells induced by diet was obvious via TUNEL staining. However, KXRG capsule reversed that negative change. Moreover, the levels of pro-apoptotic proteins (Caspase 3, 8, 9 and Bax) were reduced by exposure to KXRG capsule, except that the anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL) were elevated. In conclusion, KXRG relieved the progression of NAFLD fibrosis via maintaining the balance of TNF-α/IL-10 further relieving the inflammatory reaction, and regulating the balance of Bcl-2/Bax or Bcl-XL/Bax in a positive direction further activating damaged hepatocytes.